The disabled lack access to all types of services
How many people with disabilities do we see in the streets, restaurants, shops, bars or other public places? Most of us would say few times or not at all. There are 105,698 people with disabilities in Mongolian, and lector of the School of Humanity of the National University of Mongolia, PhD G. Buyantogtokh underlined disabled people lack access to nearly all types of services. His view is correct.
Mongolia still does not provide citizens with disabilities with comfortable and peaceful living conditions. Ulaanbaatar and provinces have roads, and public transportation, that is difficult to travel to not only people with disabilities, but also healthy people.
For instance, many people say that they slip and fall on the tiles on Sukhbaatar Square. Many people fall into manholes without cover and are injured or die even if they are perfectly healthy. Then what about people with disabilities? Some of them can't move freely and that’s why we don’t often see them often in public places.
There are international standards for footpaths, stairs and train station platforms to assist pedestrians who are visually impaired. Also, a special signal should sound when the green traffic lights up for visually impaired people. Inclined plane has to be installed in all buildings to make a convenience for people disabilities.
But does Ulaanbaatar city meet the standards? We went to the overpass in 1st khoroo for Bayanzurkh District. Even though there is no elevator, the overpass has standard inclined plane. But the overpasses in Selbe River, located in Bayanzurkh and Sukhbaatar districts doesn’t have ramp or elevator. Also, there was no tactile pacing on the Arslantai Bridge road. Few apartment and organizations had features designed to improve accessibility for people with disabilities. Though the National University of Mongolia, Mongolian National University of Science and Technology and Blue Mon Tower have ramps, they do not meet standards.
Some 98 students with disabilities study at the National University of Mongolia. The security guard of the second building of the university said, “I've been working here for four months. Sometimes, injured students walk up stairs with others’ help. But I have never seen students on wheelchair.
The Ministry of Labor and Social Protection does have inclined plane, Braille address, wall handle, guided path and special toilets. Two employees with disabilities work in this ministry. The Central Library of the National University of Mongolia has special toilets for wheelchair users, inclined plane and elevator. The crossings in front of the State Department Store and the Mongolian State University of Education have features for those with visual impairment, but there are no others throughout the city.
In recent years, though news apartments and buildings include accessibility features for the disabled, they do not meet standards. Officials of the associations for people with disabilities said that state organizations are not able to ensure accessibility to their services.
Senior Specialist of Urban Planning Department of the Department of Urban Development B.Battsolmon said, “Those who apply for construction permits have to ensure accessibility for people with disabilities. We don’t give permits if the plans don’t contain required accessibility features. Prior to the 1970s, there was no planning for people with disabilities. But heads of the city started to care about it in 2010. In particular, entrances, exits, roads, and inclined planes were built before buildings were commissioned. We use MNS: 6055/2009 for inclined planes, which determined all criteria for suitable planes. Since 2014, housing companies started to pay attention. We studied the facilities of the Ulaanbaatar Mayor’s Office, School No. 1, Central Cultural Palace, National Library of Mongolia, State Academic Drama Theater, State Academic Theater of Opera and Dance, Central Sport Complex and Central Post Office where many people come for services and the result showed that they lack accessibility for people with disabilities. There is no ramp at the entrance of the Central Post Office and the Central Cultural Palace. Plans for ramps were developed and introduced. In the future, this kind of work will continue. Also, the State Academic Theater’s ramp does not meet the standards.”
Officer of the Tugeemel Khugjil Independent Living Center D.Nyam-Ochir said, “We asked public transport companies to arrange buses for people with disabilities. Everyone, not just disabled people, but also the elderly and child should have unencumbered access to bus service. Most apartments in the city have inclined planes. However, most of them do not meet standards and cannot be used by people with disabilities. Every citizen and people with disabilities has to be provided with accessible roads.”
A woman with mobility disabilities said, “I can't go to work alone and my husband takes me there every morning. I know that if I go alone, it would save his time and improve productivity. But I always waste his time. The issue of disabled people has always been a concern in our country because there is no solution. When I travel to developed foreign countries, I almost forget that I am on a wheelchair. I can travel alone anywhere without others’ help. There is standard stairs and sidewalks slope up and down for people with disabilities. When I enter a building, the doors open by itself. I see many people like me in shops, service centers and public places. Everyone laughs and talks happily there. They live and work just like healthy people because there is nothing to worry about or difficulties. When I go to international meetings, hotel, lounge, and restaurants, they all provided comfortable and safe environment for people with disabilities. But in our capital city, there is no public place to relax except the National Garden Park. The development of any country is measured by the environment for the people with disabilities. If citizens with disabilities can live comfortably, that city is considered as friendly to every citizen.”
There are about 500 non-governmental organizations and associations for people with disabilities nationwide.
Head of the Mongolian Wheelchair Users’ Association B.Chuluundorj said, “Mongolia and Ulaanbaatar city is not friendly for people with disabilities. There is no accessible way for people with disabilities to enter and exit buildings. Also, access to information is lacking. For instance, there is no television program for people with disabilities in Mongolia only Tsagiin Khurd news program of the Mongolian National Broadcaster with sign language.”
The World Health Organization said that people with disabilities are among the most marginalized groups in the world. They have poorer health outcomes, lower education achievements, less economic participation and higher rates of poverty than people without disabilities. But human rights have to be equal and they have to live comfortably, work and communicate without external difficulties.
According to the regulations on construction and urban development, corporate service standards, and rules for the design of premises for disabled people, comfortable environment for people with disabilities must be provided. Mongolia and Ulaanbaatar will be ranked as having a good population and development policies only when people with disabilities enjoy accessible and effective social services and feel that they enjoy equal opportunity as those without disability.
...Ulaanbaatar will be ranked as having a good population and development policies only when people with disabilities enjoy accessible and effective social services and feel that they enjoy equal opportunity as those without disability...