Does Tbilisi do enough to accommodate its disabled citizens?
Thursday, June 19
“I think the government and the mayor don’t do enough for anyone in general.”
Otar, economist, 32
“No, they don’t. Just look at the streets: they are filled with beggars, many of whom are disabled. If the mayor did something, they would not be there.”
Koba, mathematician, 62
“My neighbor is disabled and he gets some GEL 100 each month. She says it’s much better than [former president Eduard] Shevardnadze’s time, so I think the situation is improving in that respect.”
Neli, housewife, 51
“Well I don’t think so, only a few places in the city are specially made to be comfortable for the disabled.”
Karina, telephone operator, 47
“Of course not. The only thing that sort of accommodates them is the underpasses.”
Gela, lawyer, 28
“No, it doesn’t. Someone in a wheelchair would be totally helpless in Tbilisi on their own.”
Nino, student, 20
“Tbilisi does almost nothing for the disabled people. They only do it in front of cameras. They visit one or two families a year and pretend they do it regularly. It isn’t true. Many people need help and there is nobody to help them.”
Natia, French specialist, 27
“No. I saw a report on the [now defunct] Imedi TV program Droeba when a journalist sat on a wheelchair and tried to move from place to place. He couldn’t, because there were no special aids for people to move in the streets.”
Paata, engineer, 39
“No. They do little things during election campaigns, but nobody remembers disabled people in our reality.”
Nana, teacher, 53
Otar, economist, 32
“No, they don’t. Just look at the streets: they are filled with beggars, many of whom are disabled. If the mayor did something, they would not be there.”
Koba, mathematician, 62
“My neighbor is disabled and he gets some GEL 100 each month. She says it’s much better than [former president Eduard] Shevardnadze’s time, so I think the situation is improving in that respect.”
Neli, housewife, 51
“Well I don’t think so, only a few places in the city are specially made to be comfortable for the disabled.”
Karina, telephone operator, 47
“Of course not. The only thing that sort of accommodates them is the underpasses.”
Gela, lawyer, 28
“No, it doesn’t. Someone in a wheelchair would be totally helpless in Tbilisi on their own.”
Nino, student, 20
“Tbilisi does almost nothing for the disabled people. They only do it in front of cameras. They visit one or two families a year and pretend they do it regularly. It isn’t true. Many people need help and there is nobody to help them.”
Natia, French specialist, 27
“No. I saw a report on the [now defunct] Imedi TV program Droeba when a journalist sat on a wheelchair and tried to move from place to place. He couldn’t, because there were no special aids for people to move in the streets.”
Paata, engineer, 39
“No. They do little things during election campaigns, but nobody remembers disabled people in our reality.”
Nana, teacher, 53