Accessibility and housing needs of paraplegics in Enugu City of Nigeria

Type Journal Article - Civil and Environmental Research
Title Accessibility and housing needs of paraplegics in Enugu City of Nigeria
Author(s)
Volume 3
Issue 1
Publication (Day/Month/Year) 2013
Page numbers 17-25
URL http://pakacademicsearch.com/pdf-files/eng/453/17-25 Vol 3, No 1 (2013).pdf
Abstract
It is apparent that paraplegics who use wheelchairs have peculiar accessibility and housing needs as a result of their
physical condition or impairment. These needs are significant to their economic, social, psychological and
physiological health. Unfortunately neither houses that accommodate the needs of paraplegics nor useful information
on how to create it has been widely available in Enugu city. Worst still, virtually no accessibility provisions were
made for them in the design and construction of public buildings like churches, banks, libraries, etc. This study
investigated the extent to which the accessibility and housing needs of chair-bound paraplegics in Enugu city have
been met. The aim was to provide ideas that will help alleviate the challenges they encounter in accessing public
places and also facilitate the integration of their housing needs into a suitable housing strategy in Enugu city. This
study revealed that 77.59% of the already constructed public buildings do not consider paraplegics in their
construction. Furthermore all the Housing Schemes of the state – Enugu state, over time have not included housing
for paraplegics. Many recommendations were proffered which included the need for a State policy that will ensure
compulsory construction of mobility assistive facilities in all public buildings; an enactment of law that will allow
paraplegics to make measurable structural adjustments in the building they occupy

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