Ghent (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Ghent is launching a campaign to keep walkways clear for people with disabilities, inspired by Lier’s program. Council members, including Lies Vanpeperstraete and Joris Vandenbroucke, support the initiative.
Ghent is beginning a new initiative to assist individuals with disabilities, particularly blind individuals or individuals with difficulty in seeing. Ghent aims to ensure that people with disabilities move freely and conveniently. They are going to educate people on why they should leave the walkway free.
There are special tiles with bumps on them that help blind people find their way around. Sometimes, these tiles get blocked by things like bikes, trash cans, or benches. The city wants to make sure that everyone understands how important it is to keep these tiles clear so that people with disabilities can get around safely.
How is Ghent enhancing accessibility for people with disabilities?
Ghent is going to do something similar to what the city of Lier did to help people with disabilities. Lier has a program that teaches people about special tiles that help blind people walk around. They put up signs. Ghent wants to make sure that everyone in the city understands how important it is to ensure that people with disabilities can move around easily.
“I advocate a campaign like the one the city of Lier has already launched. More awareness can solve unintended problems and make it easier for everyone,”
Cockhuyt added.
The council in Ghent decided to implement a program that will assist people with disabilities. All members of the council agree that providing accessibility for the disabled will enable them to travel with less difficulty. They desire all individuals to be able to travel safely, being either blind, in a wheelchair, or with mobility issues.
They want to inform individuals of the importance of taking care of where they place items. They said that things such as bicycles, garbage cans, and signs can be obstacles for people who have disabilities.
One council member, Lies Vanpeperstraete, who uses a wheelchair, said that it is very important to make the city accessible for everyone. She said that this program will help people with disabilities move around the city more easily.
Another member of the council, Joris Vandenbroucke, stated that they are still trying to determine how to implement the program. He explained that they could use posters, online adverts, or even pavement stickers to remind people to pay attention to where they put things.
