Inaccessible Waterfront

We are writing to express our deep disappointment at the lack of physical accessibility, especially for wheelchair users, at the new Valletta Waterfront project.

On Saturday, October 15, like many other Maltese citizens, we decided we'd like to go and have a look at this new project. As soon as we arrived we were confronted by what for us as wheelchair users is the "usual" problem of lack of accessibility.

Although there are signs that indicate a ramp, to our further disappointment we found that there was no ramp at all. Both of us use electric wheelchairs but we could find no ramps to take us down from the pavement. In fact, our personal assistants, at great personal strain and danger to us all, had to help us get down. Imagine our frustration when we found the same problem to get onto the pedestrian part of the project - again, there is no ramp! Once more our assistants had to use brute force to help us up.

After that exertion we decided to take a look at the shops. The two restaurants seem accessible from the outside but to be quite honest we didn't go inside to see if they have accessible toilets.

However, the other two shops surely don't comply to the Access for All Design Guidelines published by the Kummissjoni Nazzjonali Persuni b'Dizabilità. One of the shops has a ramp which is inadequate and the other one has a step.

If I were to go to Mdina and see these sort of ramps and steps I would probably say nothing, because it's reasonable to expect that very old buildings which have not undergone restoration have limited access.

But, for pity's sake, this is a new project and access for all should have been a consideration. It should have been achieved at every level where reasonably possible.

There is no excuse. No one can say that it was impossible to make the area fully accessible.  

It is not fair that disabled people (including the ever-increasing contingent of elderly people) continue to be treated as second-class citizens in our country. Everyone has the right to equal treatment and by continuing to build these inaccessible places we, as a country, are actively discriminating against disabled people and directly eroding their quality of life.

We urge all disabled persons and their families/carers to speak out against these things. We need to make everyone understand that it's our right to be able to go and make use of all places like everyone else.