Physical Accessibility in Morocco
While exploring Morocco, it is very apparent that walking is highly widespread across the country. It does not matter if we are passing through an urban city or rural mountains, people of all ages and genders are walking. While most people are able bodied and able to walk easily, there are a fraction of people that show a struggle to walk around, indicating some form of disability. When walking up a steep hill, someone asked our tour guide how those that are wheelchair-bound get up the steep hills of the city, and his response was that they simply don’t.
According to a disabled-travelers guide, Morocco is not a very accessible country. Of course, in the tourist hotels, they have a ramp and hotel, but this is not common in all hotels, and definitely not common in stores and heritage/tour sites. Many sites consist of steep stairs, steep hills, and uneven brick roads that become obstacles for disabled people to overcome. Another huge problem is that the drivers have no regard for pedestrians, therefore the use of crosswalks is nonexistent. Again, this makes it incredibly difficult for someone who is blind or wheelchair bound to get around towns and cities.
Disabled Tourist Guide. (n.d.). Accessibility. https://disabled-tourist-guide.com/accessibilty/
I noticed these same observations throughout Morocco these past days and wondered what disabled people would do in various instances. This is heartbreaking, but what is even more heartbreaking is the amount of the population these actions or lack of effect. "Morocco counts 1.7 million citizens with disabilities" (mwn). That is roughly 5.1 percent of the population, but that percent is 94.7 percent economically inactive. I wonder if there was more attention paid to them, if those stats would change and they would become more economically active.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2017/12/93913/moroccans-disabilities-illiterate/
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