HOW CAN INDONESIA/BALI IMPROVE ACCESSIBILITY?
Disability travel advocates like ourselves widely use the words ”accessible” and ”wheelchair access” But what does it mean exactly? We’d like to talk about these words and how it impacts us, other travellers, and locals when choosing to explore Bali! 🔽
ACCESSIBLE, according to the Cambridge dictionary – the fact of being able to be reached or obtained easily.
WHEELCHAIR ACCESS – a method by which someone can enter or leave a place in a wheelchair. (without assistance – our add on)
Before we continue, this post is by no means a criticism of the beautiful Indonesian/Balinese people. We’ve had & will continue to have the most wonderful experiences in Bali and that has come mainly from the locals support.
This post is really targeted towards the Indonesian/Balinese Governments – those who design & build the infrastructure and/or anyone who has a desire to create a more accessible & inclusive Indonesia/Bali.
One billion-plus people travel the world with some form of disability. If Indonesia/Bali were to improve accessibility & wheelchair access for people with disabilities, they would receive a massive piece of the tourism pie (revenue) as Bali is widely regarded as the most famous/popular/desirable island in the world. If the situation remains unchanged, people with mobility limitations will find an alternative destination that does cater to their individual needs.
More importantly, it’s the right thing to do! In the blink of an eye, any one of us could suffer with a permanent disability.
How does it start?
♿ Ramp access to shops, cafes, restaurants, beaches, and beach clubs.
♿ Provide accessible options at tourist attractions and recreational activities.
♿ Access in and out of ferries ⛴️ so everyone can enjoy island hopping.
♿ Accessible public toilets 🚽 dotted around popular tourist destinations, large enough for wheelchair users to move their chair around, and grab rails to assist in getting on and off the toilet.
♿ The insistence for hotel & resort developers to provide true access for wheelchair users, in, and around the grounds including swimming pools (which is written in Indonesian law No. 8/2016)
♿ Holiday Villas built or renovated with TRUE wheelchair accessibility in mind. There are less than a handful of these available in Bali 😩 Meaning wheelchair accessible entrance, step free throughout, wider doorways, roll-in showers, hoists for people to get into a bed, accessible pool with hoists or ramps etc.
♿ Repair damaged pavements & provide accessible road crossings.
♿ Adapted vehicles and Taxi’s/Cabs for wheelchair users – Airport transfers & general travel around the island.
♿ Prevent vehicles and scooters from parking on footpaths/pavements and blocking wheelchair access.
While we love and frequent Bali and intend staying for extended periods in the future, we make the best of the situation with Morgan as she is fully supported. Independent wheelchair users experience far more significant difficulties.
We also understand and appreciate the religious significance of stairs in Bali. However, is it possible to incorporate them while maintaining accessibility?
This is not an exhaustive list of possible improvements. If you’d like to add your thoughts, we would love to hear from you! 😉😊👍🌴
@followers
