Jakarta, kartunet.com – The Barrier Free Tourism event, organized by the disability community, was held once again. This time, the event took place at Taman Impian Jaya Ancol (Ancol Dreamland). Participants included visually impaired individuals, hearing impaired individuals, wheelchair users, children with disabilities, and non-disabled individuals, on Saturday (14/4). The event lasted until the afternoon.
Last March, a similar event was held at the National Monument (Monas). This time, participants included ten wheelchair users, eight visually impaired individuals, six hearing impaired individuals, three children with disabilities, and twenty non-disabled participants. The event organizers plan to hold such routine agendas every month. Besides aiming for recreation, this event also serves to educate the public that people with disabilities also travel and enjoy tourism like the general public.
“The choice of venue is based on the agreement of our friends. Ancol was chosen because it is a recreational place for everyone, so we will try to educate the public, from the Kampung Melayu area to the busway officers and Ancol itself,” Said Cucu Saidah, who works at a blood donor institution.
Tourist attractions in Jakarta are generally not yet accessible due to inadequate facilities and infrastructure. Many tourist sites do not provide ramps for wheelchair users, have incorrectly installed guiding blocks on sidewalks, and feature potholed roads and numerous pillars, making it uncomfortable for people with disabilities to travel. At Ancol, for example, changes have been attempted by the management, but their implementation is still considered less than optimal.
“An ideal tourist destination must be friendly to everyone, including people with disabilities, the elderly, and children,” Said Cucu. The path leading to the pier, for instance, is already a ramp. However, for certain reasons, the management installed large iron bars on this path. As a result, the path becomes difficult to navigate for both wheelchair users and the general public.
One wheelchair-using participant also stated that tourist attractions in Jakarta are indeed not very accessible. Maximum improvements are needed so that tourists feel safe and comfortable during recreation. (Reza)
Editor: Risma