Don’t use parking lots for persons with disabilities, public urged
The Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission (HRADC) is urging members of the public to respect all parking lots allocated for persons with disabilities either in public or private spaces.
These accessible spaces specifically marked for persons with disabilities ensures they have safe, convenient and equal access to services, such as supermarkets, health care facilities, banking, entertainment and public institutions and it should not be used by non-disabled persons.
Human Rights Commissioner, Lanieta Tuimabu, who is also a representative of the Fiji Disabled
Peoples Federation says parking lots reserved for persons with disabilities ensures that the wheelchair users, those using walkers, white cane and other mobility aid users are able to get off their vehicle and safely access the facility they are visiting to run their errands.
“The onus is on the nondisabled members of the public to ensure they do not use the parking spaces allocated for persons with disabilities. Many times, these accessible parking spaces are being occupied by non-disabled persons who are just looking for a convenient parking space,” Commissioner Tuimabu said.
“These spaces are designed to make it comfortable for the persons with disabilities to alight and board. Also, it allows easy and safe access to enter the facility. it is a matter of shame when a non-disabled person disregards the disability sign and uses the space allocated for all persons with disabilities”
HRADC Director, Ashwin Raj says “Reasonable accessibility for persons with disabilities is not an act of charity, but a concrete expression of our constitutional obligation as well as under international human rights law. Fiji is a signatory to the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).”
Source: The Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission
Reasonable accessibility for persons with disabilities is not an act of charity, but a concrete expression of our constitutional obligation as well as under international human rights law... Ashwin Raj Human Rights and Anti-discrimination Commission director