Hello Local Guides,
As a part of advocacy,
#OneAccessibility, and team member of the campaign, we always try to find out and add Accessibile to Google maps, and help thousands of people indirectly, who are searching for the place where they can access easily. Specially those people who use wheelchairs or the people who have different abilities.
Wheel Chairs Accessibility Awareness Meetup :
Accompanying me were my friends Mr Arif, Mr Christopher, Mr Rauf, Sufiyan, Iqbal, Miss Ruqqaiya & Miss Nabila (DarUlSukun staff) who have massive talent and abilities from Dar Ul Sukun Karachi (Rehabilitation center) discussed several times to do something different, which can motivate other people to care for Accessibility and for clean environment.
As I learn alot about Accessibility awareness by my fellow local guides and specially #oneAccessibility Alliance members @EmekaUlor @Jesi @ChinonsoOnukwugha
@PennyChristie, marine Sargent and Megan
& About #cleantheworld project by our senior local guides specially @ermest .
Thus, on 6th October I invited them for Accessibility awareness meetup at Clifton Beach Karachi, and I designed the meetup with Symbolic Beach cleaning, because we all agreed that this action would motivate many people to clean our beaches. This is because, at Dar Ul Sukun I already briefed them about #cleantheworld campaign, which was started by Ermes Toun, and now many parts of the world local guides are working to keep clean and healthy environment for our mother Earth.
I am really thankful to management of Dar UL Sukun, who provided Van service which had enough space to keep Wheelchairs in it.
We started our journey from Dar-Ul-Sukoon , and all faces were beaming with happiness, because they were going to do something new there for them. I could feel the excitement in the air, because they were keen to do something for society, want to convey message to people.
Our first spot was Do Dariya Beach, Do Dariya Beach, which is famous for it’s restaurants and hangout places in Karachi.
But to our surprise, there were too many rocks on sea, and we cannot reach at actual place.
But there we stayed some 30 minutes to take pictures and eat snacks like Corns and Tea.
Surprise for my guests :
What they didn’t know was the surprise coming for them, as I told them some people want to talk to them, want to meet and want to give them compliments.
Firstly I received a Video call from @JaneBurunina a person who radiates nothing but postivity. All members of meetup felt great when Zhanna talked to them, they told their names to her, and told her the know meetup detail.
After Zhanna, We talked to @Jesi , Jesicca started with Great smile and gesture, and in between many times she said the Urdu (Pakistani Language) Word ‘Shukriya’ (Thank you) they were amazed and excited at the same time. And She Motivate them with her kind gesture and beautiful smile ?
And in the last, my brother @OmerAli had a conversation with them. Firstly I introduce all of them one by one by Thier names. He chatted them in Urdu, and saluted all of them because of their enthusiasm that they were showing all the time.
In all three calls, we let them know about wheel chair Accessibility situation in Karachi. I m really grateful to my friends who gave Thier time and talk to my great friends and meetup attendees.
Then came our next destination, we started again our journey to reach middle side of Clifton Beach.
Much to our surprise, we got another setback, as the routes to beach were closed with the barriers. The direct route to reach the beach was closed, which this meant we couldn’t enjoy Waves and cold water there, because there was no proper accessible route for their wheelchairs to walk, just soft sand. It was quite possible for them to construct even just a walkway slope for wheelchairs to walk.
Then, the sudden realization dawned upon me as I got the true definition and importance of Accessible beaches. To be very honest I never thought like that before this meetup, that how a wheelchair user can reach and enjoy the waves if there is no ramp or way for Wheelchairs at the beach. And because of this, our Symbolic Beach Cleaning wasn’t completed.
There I briefed them about Accessibility project by Local guides, that how local guides are creating awareness for wheel chair Accessibility all around the world, and not just creating awareness but mapping it too on Google maps to acknowledge people about Accessible friendly places before their visit by thier reviews and uploaded photos on Google maps.
But anyways, we stayed there for some 30 more minutes, in front of barriers and had a brief conversation with many visitors about this issue, and trying to creat awareness about Accessibile beaches in Karachi. A person who himself in wheelchair can better explain other people how he is feeling right now if other people can walk to the beach and he can’t reach there. It wasn’t much, but atleast we conveyed our discomfort to the management, regarding this issue. In return, we were promised that they will talk about this issue to officials. (Just promise ?) ?
That was a recap of a Fantastic day with my most brave friends at Clifton Beach, we did some more activities, which I will be share in the second part of
-True Accessibility Views From Eyes Of Differently Abled.
I m really thankful to my friend @lynneannec for suggesting a superb title for my recap post. Shukriya.
You can enjoy some great smiles and beautiful faces of my friends in this Album of A great Accessible Beaches Awareness Meetup .
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