Policy Maker Work

This is a part of the policy that will be delivered to the Parliament on the upcoming 25th of July 2019. I’m pleased to hear that and would like to share with everyone. The government policy affects significantly the degree of accessibility. There is, of course, other details that emphasize the enrichment of the lives of people with more equality.

The Accessibility Is Freedom and Transportation for All (T4A) have been encouraging to bring up the issue of public transport for all to the spotlight. Recently, we had a wonderful opportunity to have the first meeting with the Department of Rail Transport in order to highlight the issues. It’s a general first meeting in an attempt to share insights and information. The participants in the meeting consist of diverse people from various groups including contractor, rail service provider, PWDs representative, and many related parties. From a holistic point of view, this is a good starting point.

With our intensive efforts, brought us to meet with the Ambassador Jane Duke, Australian Mission to ASEAN on The AICHR Regional Dialogue, Bangkok. We have some light conversation, she is incredibly magnificent person. I’ve told her that I’ve never been to Australia before, I do plan to visit in the future. I’ve heard that the infrastructure in many cities are built with great equality level. She replied that “We’ve also learnt a lot from our mistakes…”

I’ve informed from my fellow networks that the Secretary-General of the United Nations (UNSG), whose duty deal with PWDs and accessibility, have made a visit to Thailand. We took this wonderful opportunity to rush out providing them what we have done so far. A chance to meet with the UN’s high-rank officials is practically rare, but we did make it. I was highly appreciative for all the networks that helped arranging this meeting possible. No matter where and who we give a speech, the words that we share are the reflective truth.

28 May 2018 As a chairman, on behalf of Rail System / Transportation For All (T4A) leading by Mr. Theerayuth, to discuss on accessibility problems and plausible solutions regarding the extension of BTS Green Line (Bearing – Sa-mut Pra-karn). Mr. Jeerasak Sripamma, Deputy Director of Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, was the guest of honor who performed as a chairman. The meeting involved other relevant parties as well.

IDAT4A team join the pre-meeting with IDA’s member for SDGs for PWDs. I presented accessibilities transportation outlook for Thailand to everyone. The main issue was, we pushed the transportation accessibilities as the main issue to follow and focus on for Thailand development. I don’t feel alright when I talk about our own country. However, I truly believe that speaking the truth would let everyone understand the situation clearly then the problems will be fixed. And honestly, to fix the problem it wouldn’t take long. I’m waiting to be proud and talk about my own country what we have done doing better and …

“You’re helping us and you get nothing…” A voice from the Thammasat University law students, year 2016 that I had the opportunity to work with. This is the second time that we are meeting to make an appeal at the Traffic and Transportation Department of Bangkok City (TTD) for the construction of skywalk so that it’s accessible to everyone.

It’s quite weird that although we have laws and regulations regarding with standard of accessible facilities, few of them has successfully happened. Today we attended the conference on behalf of many, as Accessibility Is Freedom whom we provide social contributions to raise the awareness and virtue of public mind, and as T4A whom we have common goals in actualizing an inclusive accessibility on public transportations.

13 July 2016 Accessibility Is Freedom was attending a meeting with the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEP) regarding accessible facilities, held by Mr. Maitri Intasood, Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, as President, and Mr. Somchai Chalernaumnuysook, Director-General of Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, as Vice President, as well as the management team from the provision of accessible infrastructure and environment for PWDs.

On 29 June, 2016 Accessibility Is Freedom, as a representative of “Transportation For All community”, had addressed our serious concern on the accessibility problems on BTS and MRT, as well as feasible solutions in our perspective, to the National Human Rights Commission.