SUCCESFUL ACTION AND GOOD REACTION

Platforms and Ramps for People in Wheelchairs

The Association Polio Plus put several wheelchairs in front of the stairways that prevent the handicapped people to move freely, which was immediately followed by a positive reaction – installing of ramps and building of platforms. – Their action induced me to become a member of the association, and this is the only association that I’ve joined – says Mrs. Christina Dickinson, wife of Great Britain Ambassador in our country.

An action that was organized almost spontaneously, "by heart", and absolutely voluntarily, induced a reaction that will significantly facilitate the life of a particular group of citizens. After the action organized by the Association Polio Plus (a post-polio support group) on the Day of the Handicapped (December 3), on several places in Skopje, Tetovo and Gostivar ramps for people in wheelchairs were installed or are in process of installing.
Although this provided only several ramps - that by no means completely solves the problem with the mobility of the handicapped - Polio Plus considers it as a great success, because their action, which lasted for just one day, aroused a great interest and reached several places very significant for the solution of this problem.
No reaction by the representatives
- We decided, completely spontaneously, not to celebrate the Day of the Handicapped with gatherings and speeches, but to put several wheelchairs on places which are unapproachable for these people, with massages written on a plain paper. In Skopje, in front of the Law School, in Gostivar in front of a primary school, and in Tetovo in front of the Department of Employment. Only two hours after he saw the wheelchair, the Director of the Department of Employment in Tetovo arranged for installation of a ramp, the principal of the school in Gostivar offered to install the ramp himself, and there was a similar reaction by the Dean of the Economic Faculty in Skopje. The media also informed about this action, thus attracting the Foundation Blagovestie attention. It decided to invest the financial means gathered on the New Year’s Ball in ramps and platforms on all faculties in the University Complex near the Bit-Pazar. At the moment the project is getting prepared, and we expect that soon this equipment will be used by the ones in wheelchairs that study, work or visit the Law School, the Economy, the Philosophy, the Philology Faculties and the Interdisciplinary Studies of Journalism in Skopje. A ramp has also been installed on the entrance of the City Museum in Skopje, where we participated in the exhibition We Are One World, organized by the Association Civil and the Foundation Blagovestie. Apart from putting wheelchairs and participating in the exhibition, our action included a letter that we sent to all representatives in the Parliament separately and, as a public addressing, to the media. We asked the representatives to speak on our behalf about our rights, to lobby for us. None of them answered. But, the reaction by the citizens and the media was very positive – says Mr. Zvonko Sarevski, Chairman of Polio Plus.

Positive philosophy
This action brought one more member to Polio Plus – the wife of Great Britain Ambassador in our country, Mrs. Christina Dickinson. She told us that Polio Plus is the only association that she has ever joined, and that the reason for that was exactly the December action.
- I work at the association full time. I think that the action they organized was very effective and very professionally carried out. It is important to work on the strengthening of people’s consciousness, not by asking compassion, but a concrete help. Regretfully, many things are left unsolved, not only in Macedonia, but in other countries, too, including mine. I think that Polio Plus has a potential to help the handicapped attain their rights – that is why I am a member. I like the association’s philosophy – if the handicapped get their rights, everybody’s life will be easier, because they will be able to take care of themselves and wont be a burden to their relatives – states Mrs. Dickinson.
Clarifying their philosophy, people from Polio Plus say that they don’t ask for compassion, but for a wise and a steering aid to realize their civil rights.
What is particularly characteristic is that this action was carried out voluntarily, without grants or any kind of additional help, even without spending a single denar from the association’s budget. The assembling of the bases where they put the wheelchairs, the transport to the locations in Skopje, Gostivar nad Tetovo, as well as everything that followed the action was carried out by the Polio Plus members’ own efforts and financial means.
- This year is declared for an International Year of the Voluntary Work, so we wanted to give our contribution to this manifestation – says Mr. Sarovski. – We also considered that if with a certain act one really wants to say something that comes from his/her heart, then one should do it personally, without any help – of course, if able to. We thought that it wouldn’t be a personal protest if someone pays for it. We also wanted to show that many things may be done without help, with personal engagement of the citizens and their associations.