[sustran] Re: fwd: Advocacy for access to transportation

[sumit adhikari]

>From: SUSTRAN Resource Centre <sustran at po.jaring.my>
>Reply-To: sustran-discuss at jca.ax.apc.org
>To: sustran-discuss at jca.ax.apc.org
>Subject: [sustran] fwd: Advocacy for access to transportation
>Dear friends,
>Thank you for your information on your worldwide venture on the
>'Advocacy for access to transportation' . As I am pursuing reserch on 
>public
>transport accessibility in an Indian city, viz., DELHI, I think I will be 
>able to give
>you some feedback to your project, if required. I really need some good 
> >literature on this topic. So if you able to send me the required 
>materials then it >will be helpful for my research.
>OK , all the best,
>Sumit Adhikari,
>#245, Kaveri Hostel,
>awaharlal Nehru University,
>New Delhi-110067, INDIA.










>Date: Tue, 13 Jul 1999 09:02:51 +0800
>
>[Forwarded with permission from Tom Rickerts of Access Exchange
>International., Paul.]
>
>
>SUBJECT:  Advocacy for access to transportation
>
>TO: Tupong Kulkhanchit and friends at Access Office, DPI-Thailand
>
>Let me introduce myself.  I am with Access Exchange International, an
>NGO in San Francisco, USA, which promotes access to transportation in
>countries around the world, with a special emphasis on Latin America,
>Asia, Africa, eastern Europe and other regions where often there is
>little or no access to date.
>
>I returned from a trip in June to find 12 responses from six countries
>concerning your pioneering effort to advocate by e-mail for access to
>the newly opening Bangkok Sky Train.  I have learned a lot from the
>responses to your fine advocacy, which helps me realize the great
>potential for further collaboration.
>
>Here are my own initial observations:
>
>I think that the responses from Naziaty Yaacob (Malaysia) and San
>Yuenwah (Thailand) contain many excellent points on advocacy.  They
>represent the approaches which I have observed to have the best
>success in other regions.   I would like to incorporate their ideas
>and the experiences of others elsewhere into a small publication on
>effective advocacy for access, for distribution around the world, and
>will proceed to seek resources for this.   Our direct experience is
>mainly in Russia, South Africa, and the Americas -- experiences in
>Asia will help make this a better publication.
>
>One model for very effective advocacy is that of Libre Acceso (Free
>Access), a disability NGO in Mexico City with an unusual record for
>getting results.  I have listed Federico Fleishmann, the Founder and
>President of Libre Acceso, above, and Maria Eugenia Antúnez of Libre
>Acceso could also be of help given her background on international
>access standards.  The "key station" approach which I gather is
>occuring in Bangkok is also being taken by Mexico City Metro -- but
>their's is an older system and they must retrofit those stations.  It
>is no longer appropriate -- anywhere in the world -- for new rail
>systems to be built which are inaccessible.  The emerging
>international standard includes access for all using principles of
>universal design.
>
>One definitive source for information on standards is our friend CGB
>(Kit) Mitchell in the UK (see e-mail listing above).  He is an
>excellent resource for transportation professionals who need technical
>material on rail and bus standards.
>
>We have produced a  publication titled "Mobility for All: Accessible
>Transportation Around the World," 26 pages with many illustrations,
>published by the United Methodist Church.  Do send me your address if
>you desire a mailed copy.   The entire English version is on the
>Internet at the Swedish Institute on Independent Living's site:
>http://www.independentliving.org/Mobility/index.html     This site has
>excellent coverage of disability issues (see listing above for Adolf
>Ratzka).  We have English and Spanish print versions, and my friend
>Walt Spillum (Tokyo) is working with others on translations into
>Japanese and other languages as resources permit.
>
>Koseph Kwan (see above) in Hong Kong has good experience which might
>be of help.  Their new rail line from the airport to downtown is, I
>understand, completely accessible. I note you have already been put in
>touch with Michael Legge in Hong Kong.
>
>The next time I plan to be in the region will perhaps be April 2000,
>when I hope to participate in conferences or workshops on
>transportation access in Hong Kong and Japan (working with Walt
>Spillum) and perhaps elsewhere if there is interest.   This past March
>I was gratified by an excellent response at workshops for
>transportation and disability leaders in Mexico City and in Costa
>Rica.  I think we will continue to see major breakthroughs in Latin
>America in years ahead.  I'll know more after a planned workshop in
>Buenos Aires in October, which may permit additonal meetings in
>Brazil, Chile, or Uruguay.
>
>One concern I have relates to the "dark side" of the otherwise very
>positive influence of the Internet on global communication between
>accessibility advocates.  This is the need to assure that disability
>agencies in less-wealthy countries have access to the Internet or,
>failing this, that they continue to be reached through regular mail.
>As all of us become ever more oriented toward electronic
>communications, there is the danger of the isolation of disability
>agencies that cannot afford that access.  Hopefully this problem will
>diminish as access becomes less expensive over time.
>
>Finally, disability agencies need to plan for representation at the
>next "TRANSED" triennial conference on Transport and Mobility for
>Elderly and Disabled People, in Warsaw, Poland, July 2-4, 2001.   Of
>equal importance, key transportation professionals in Asia and
>elsewhere need to attend in order to directly benefit from discussions
>of global standards.  I bring this up well ahead of time because the
>long budget cycles for transportation agencies need to be anticipated
>in planning participation. Information may be had by contacting Dr.
>Liliana Schwartz (Warsaw), who is listed above.
>
>With best wishes -
>
>Tom Rickert
>Access Exchange International
>
>


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