Disabled friendly road is a small road where the blind, and users of wheel chair and trolley and persons with various disabilities and general public can walk easily. This road is being constructed at a place used now as a footpath.[break]
This road will be built in the pavement of the inner part by building railings in both sides of the main road and there will be roads to reach the main road and for exiting in various places.
Chairman of the National Disabled Federation Sudarshan Subedi said this road will be easy for all, there will be less road accidents, there will be no traffic jam problem, and a pressure will be created for the government to build disabled friendly roads in other places.
Wheel chair users of Independent Living Centre Advocacy Bhojraj Shrestha said it is the state´s responsibility to build the disabled friendly road in the Kathmandu valley and that it will improve this country´s image in the international arena.
The disabled friendly road will be built in two sides of the main road in 100 metres from the main gate of the Nepal Disabled Association to the cross road of Narayantar at Jorpati in Kathmandu.
As per the concept paper issued recently by the Khagendra Disabled Friendly Road Campaign Implementation Committee, the road will be constructed at a cost of Rs 2.9 million.
It will be constructed with the cooperation of various organizations, donor agencies and general public including the Government of Nepal.
The foundation stone of the disabled friendly road was laid on January 18 by Secretary of the Ministry of Works and Transport Tulsi Bhakta Sitaula, said Secretary of the Campaign Implementation Committee, Rhisiram Dhakal.
A Khagendra Disabled Friendly Road Campaign Implementation Committee has been constituted by uniting all including the Wheel Chair Users Committee, Local Social Workers Committee and Finance Collection and Recommendation Committee.
The Campaign Implementation Committee has representation from the Ministry of Works and Transport, Road Division Office, Sano Gaucharan, Nepal Spinal Cord Injury Sports Association, SOS Balgram, Spinal Injury Rehabilitation Centre, Nepal Disabled Association, Nepal Orthopedic Hospital, and Nepal Disabled Human Rights Centre, Jorpati VDC and various parties.
The Khagendra Nawajiwan Kendra (Centre) has been providing facilities for the disabled since its founding, including in education, health and hospital facilities.
At the Centre, SOS Balgram, Khagendra Nawajiwan Special Education Secondary School, physical and medical facilities for the disabled, and physiotherapy treatment have been run and Khagendra Nawajiwan Griha has been run for providing lodging and food.
Likewise, the Nepal Orthopedic Hospital, Khagendra Memorial Library, Orthotics, Prosthetics Centre are also devoted in the service of the disabled.
The committee has a target to build the disabled friendly road from Sankhu Road at Bagmati Bridge to Jorpati Chowk with footpath on both sides of the main road and one hundred meters inside from main road to each cross roads.
The road will be built as a model to be useful for all including schools, colleges, libraries, drug stores, guesthouses, government organizations and offices, informed Secretary of the Campaign Implementation Committee, Dhakal.
It is believed that it would inspire Nepal Government to accept this Campaign as a model and move ahead to also make private residences, which are built by taking permission of the VDC and municipality, and all government and non-government buildings, roads and pavements to be built across the country, disabled friendly.
The Centre has said that there are 10 percent disabled in the world among the population or 65 million people and in that, the number of women is higher than that of men. In Nepal, the number of disabled are around 7- 10 percent.
As per population, the place at Jorpati is said to be selected so that more and more people would be benefited as Jorpati VDC in Kathmandu has the most settlement of organizations of the disabled as well as individuals, it is mentioned in the concept paper.
The Campaign of Khagendra disabled friendly road is regarded praiseworthy in meeting the responsibility of the society and community. The Campaign Implementation Committee has said the construction of the road will be started from May 29.
Related story
Two disabled-friendly polling stations fixed in Myagdi
