As the world commemorated International Wheelchair Day this week, the accessibility of human settlements for people living with disabilities was highlighted. The demand for decent human settlements in Gauteng continues to grow daily.

This leaves many scrambling for the limited housing opportunities and people using wheelchairs are not spared. As much as the Gauteng department of human settlements prioritises people living with disabilities, child-headed households and the elderly, the demand remains higher than the output of houses.

Through its informal settlement formalisation programme, the department strives to create an environment in which people using wheelchairs can move and access amenities even if they live in informal settlements while they wait for their houses. When building RDP houses, the department uses different specifications when building a house for a person in a wheelchair.

These specifications, among others, include wider doors, disability-friendly bathrooms and ramps. It is important for people using wheelchairs to fully complete the form and notify the department when applying or visit the offices should one find themselves using a wheelchair while waiting for the house, as this will assist in planning.

The department has also made gains in its RDP flats that are part of mega projects by ensuring that some of the units on the ground floor are designed and reserved for people using wheelchairs.

This week as the world celebrated International Wheelchair Day on Tuesday, it is important that the Gauteng department of human settlements strives to become one of those who are celebrated for “providing support and care for wheelchair users, who make the world a better and a more accessible place for people with mobility issues”, as stated in the aims of the International Wheelchair Day.

The Ikageleng serviced stands programme provides an opportunity for qualifying people who use wheelchairs to access land and build houses for themselves using a free modular plan provided by the department that can be converted to create a wheelchair-friendly house.

Luzuko Pongoma, Naturena, Johannesburg