Of Wheelchairs, Handicap Accessibility, and Singapore

How handicap accessible does something have to be to be labelled as such? Does it mean that a person with a cane should be able to use that amenity? Or a person with developmental disabilities? What about people in wheelchairs? To be honest, I hadn't given much thought to these questions until recently. Usually when places in America claim that something is handicap accessible that means that someone in a wheelchair could use it. However, in Singapore, the story is a bit different.

What got me thinking about these things was a visit from my mother. She had injured herself back in December just before she was scheduled to come to Singapore. Thankfully, she had bought travel insurance and was able to get her money back. So after a few months of therapy, she was strong enough to come for the Chinese New Year holiday, but not one percent back to her pre-injury capability. Since going almost anywhere in Singapore requires a ton of walking, my friend J. and I rented her a wheelchair and off we went.

Pushing a wheelchair around Singapore requires stamina, grit, and saint-like patience. The first hurdle is getting to where you're trying to go. Not all buses or bus stops are wheelchair friendly. If you need to take a bus, it may be less hassle, albeit more expensive, to take a taxi. Some taxi stands have a priority queue for guests with disabilities. The MRT (subway) is wheelchair accessible. However, you ought to allow extra time for getting around. It can be a long walk to get to the correct elevator to go up to the platform. Sometimes, you may have to wait for at least two elevators as there are lots of kids in strollers who need to use the elevator (or adults who don't really need to use the elevator), so your wheelchair doesn't fit. On the platform near the elevator, are doors marked with the familiar blue sign. The cars that are positioned to stop at these doors have a specific area for wheelchairs. All of the cars have reserved seating at the end of every row for non-wheelchair bound guests.

Once you arrive at your destination, you may find that the facility claims to be handicap accessible, but that does not always mean it is wheelchair friendly. At more than one venue we visited, the handicap restrooms or seating area was located down one step or a short flight of steps. Some attractions featured artistically-grooved pavement or hilly terrain that made pushing a wheelchair a challenge. One attraction we tried to visit was itself handicap accessible, but we were unable to get to its location as it sat on top of a hill and there were only escalators and stairs owing to construction. We found this out only after I had pushed my mother a third of the way up the hill.

Now you may be wondering, what about the attitude of the people? The reaction of everyday people to my mother in the wheelchair was somewhat varied. Sometimes, people would blatantly stare at her. Some gave her dirty looks; others were clearly just curious. At some of the attractions, people would push in front of us or give us unkind glances as we tried to get close enough to see what was going on. Frequently, mothers or fathers would push their children in front of my mother at shows or attractions where an close up view was desirable.

Even in spite of all the challenges, there were several times when people were helpful and gave us priority. When our wheelchair got stuck in the platform gap exiting the MRT, several men rushed over to lift it out. On occasion, a few people let us go in front of them in various lines. At restaurants, servers were often patient with us getting settled in and did their best to accommodate the bulky chair in a way that neither interfered with our or other diners' experiences. Staff at many of the attractions, we visited, including the Singapore Zoo and the Night Safari, were quick to point us to the handicap accessible amenities and priority lines/areas. These small kindnesses did help with a somewhat demanding experience.