Disabled man falls from wheelchair on uneven EEC project road, sparks outrage
A disabled man selling lottery tickets was spotted tumbling from his wheelchair onto the road due to an uneven surface. The incident, captured on CCTV, sparked outrage on social media.
The man was attempting to navigate the bumpy road in an area earmarked for the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) project, specifically designed to be accessible for disabled people.
The incident took place near a gold shop, Charoen Yowarat, in the municipal market of Mabtaphut, Rayong province. This location is the exact spot where the CCTV footage was captured. The Good Samaritan who rushed to the 35 year old disabled man’s aid was identified as Peeradon, a nephew of the gold shop owner.
Peeradon revealed that the incident occurred yesterday (January 10) at around 4.30pm. He was sitting in the gold shop when he spotted the man, who was backing his wheelchair to cross a rough patch on the road, suddenly falling backwards, hitting his head on the ground.
Rushing to his aid, Peeradon found the man struggling to get up, who then thanked him and left. This left Peeradon worried about the man’s well-being as he suspected the fall must have caused some injury, reported Sanook.
The road had been under construction the previous year for the installation of footpaths and pipes. However, the surface was left unfinished and rough, leading to accidents such as this one. Peeradon urged relevant authorities to fix the road to prevent further incidents.
While the nearby footpath had provisions for disabled people, there was no apparent connectivity or ramp for wheelchairs where the road intersected with the path. This incident has raised questions on social media about the utility of such infrastructure if it cannot be used effectively by those for whom it is intended.
In related news, criticism erupted online as a poorly designed wheelchair-accessible walkway sparked outrage. The authorities were urged to address infrastructural oversights for people with disabilities.
