Hello interwebs users,
At this point it has become rather clear that the purpose of this blog is more about getting my thoughts on paper before I lose them completely than getting my thoughts out to peeps from various countries and disciplines.... No matter. Still a useful tool to rant, rave, praise and criticize various people, places and institutions.
Since this blog has been inactive for a good couple of weeks, I feel I should explain that, being the lucky cow I am, I have been wintering in the UK since mid-November (Movember?).
What I have discovered about London is this: London is the city of ramps. London, my friends, and not Durban as suggested by one of the delegates at the recent DPI 8th World Assembly. As some of you may be aware, the 2012 Olympic Games will be held in London and the city is consequently undergoing an upgrade of gargantuan proportions. The purpose of said upgrade is not, as one may immediately assume, to make the city look prettier to all those tourists who will doubtless be flooding the shores of the Thames, but to make the entire city more accessible to physically disabled persons wanting to visit the city and / or Games.
Colour me impressed. London is already rather physical disability -friendly, what with its elevators at most rail stations, numerous step-free Underground stations and tourist attractions that can easily be negotiated by wheelchair. The fact that the city officials have recognised that much more needs to be done before even this great city can be called accessible is very, very impressive.
If only the rest of the world's major cities could follow suit. Still, the fact that one of the largest and most important cities in the world has undertaken this project which is largely to the benefit of the physically disabled is clearly a step in the right direction.
Bravo, London. Bravo, Boris. Bravo, Your Majesty.
No comments:
Post a Comment