[wodin]

With the wonderful international flavor we have here, I’m amazed that I haven’t thought to ask sooner. My wife is wheelchair bound, and that has caused me to avoid thinking about international travel. She has a power chair, and we even have a travel power chair that easily disassembles to manageable sized pieces that will fit in the trunk (boot) of a car. But I wonder about access in other nations.

Here is the US we have the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) which dictates accommodations for disabled persons in all public facilities. Things like curb cuts (ramps) at street crossings, elevators and access ramps in all public buildings, disabled parking places, extra wide stalls in public restrooms, etc. You would be amazed how most people don’t notice a step or two until they have to try to get over them in a wheelchair.

I am aware that the EU has a law similar to the ADA, and I believe Australia, NZ and Japan may also have one, but I’m not sure. What I don’t know is about other places on the Pacific Rim, places like Mexico or Thailand or Korea or Hong Kong or Singapore or India.

I traveled a bit in my younger days with the US Navy, but that was years ago and much has changed since. And things like curb cuts didn’t impress me much then, so admittedly I really don’t remember who had what.

What say you? Is your country disabled persons friendly?