Keeping Christmas

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: Pine cones and bright red Christmas baubles lying on a bed of green pine needles in a clay pot

We are in the thick of Christmas season once again. The trees are up, the lights and stars twinkling in our homes and streets and shops and Christmas songs playing everywhere you go. There’s that bustle of activity in the air with shopping, decorating, wrapping gifts, visiting, baking cakes and cookies, planning get-togethers with family and friends, attending parties and so on. We say Christmas is for children and pretend that we do whatever we do for our children. But, admit it, even as adults we love Christmas. We may complain loudly about the stress of the preparations, but we find ourselves becoming more and more excited as the day draws near and the decorations begin to appear. I also tend to tear up easily this time of year as memories of Christmas past are triggered at every turn.

My life is disabled by my environment

WHY ACCESSIBILITY MATTERS

IMAGE DESCRIPTION

I am sitting on my wheelchair looking up at a long flight of stairs which is the only entrance into the office building of the Directorate of Health and Family Welfare in Nagaland.

So, when was the last time you had to turn back without getting your work done because you couldn’t get into an office building? Or decline an invitation to an event or missed out on a celebration because the venue was inaccessible? Have you ever been unable to go to school, college or go shopping because there was no ramp or a washroom you could use? These are just a few scenarios faced by wheelchair users on a daily basis. There are many, many more – too many to list here.