Accessibility and Housing Needs of Paraplegics in Enugu City, Nigeria

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

Keywords: paraplegics, housing, city