Originally posted by Nancee This is pretty pathetic. How does one survive without a wheelchair, if needed? There, apparently, are no service agencies for the disabled??

And what good is a wheelchair on sidewalks with no ramps!  I only know this from my experience trying to push a child's stoller around the streets of Rio - it's like trying to navigate one of those military obstacle courses they have in bootcamp!  What chance does anyone in a wheelchair have?


Edited by nevergoingback

Originally posted by Nancee This is pretty pathetic. How does one survive without a wheelchair, if needed? There, apparently, are no service agencies for the disabled??

No there are almost none. One survives as discribed, many using a skateboard or cut down car tires on their knees.

Originally posted by nevergoingback And what good is a wheelchair on sidewalks with no ramps!  I only know this from my experience trying to push a child's stoller around the streets of Rio - it's like trying to navigate one of those military obstacle courses they have in bootcamp!  What chance does anyone in a wheelchair have?

The centre of Rio has some ramps for wheelchairs. I work a couple of floors above Halliburton in Rio, and they actually have a disabled policy. At least 3 people using wheelchairs work there.

Here in the centre of Rio I see many people in wheelchairs actually in the middle of the street. Sidewalks are indeed obstacle courses. Where there are no holes in the sidewalk, most space is occupied with camelos.

When I first came to Brazil I always wondered why Brazilians carry their babies in their arms everywhere and do not use strollers. After having two, I know why. carrying your child in your arms is much less tiresome than pushing a stroller over the sidewalk.

I would think someone could come up with just a wooden chair with wheels on it even(the old type wheelchairs used to be made of wooden slats with big old wheels attached). How does one survive on a skate board? Get food? Etc.? There must be no gov't assistance, they must have to beg for food and live on the streets, unless they have some money or a half-well off family. 

Is this a financial issue? (I would think some creative crafts people in Brazil could rig something up to make their lives a bit easier) or is it more of a social issue (societal apathy)?

 

Edited by Nancee

Disabled rights are a big mountain to climb.  Look at the buses with the high steps and narrow turn-stile entry gate.  No-one disabled can use these. The side-walks are bits of broken mozaic stone - lovely to look at but impossible to naviagate, even on foot; some with lamp-post in the middle forcing you into the road.  

Originally posted by orangevip my salary isn't too shabby but my bf makes way more than me....he can't believe that I work for so little and I'm from here.

   Oh oh... I think he'll have trouble in finding a job that pays well (according to his standards) here... unless he's a star in his field...