I’m deep in my fieldwork notes as I work on my dissertation papers, and was transported this morning to when I first met Mateusz Majkut, Warsaw-based politician and disability advocate, in 2023.
We first met at a coffee shop in Old Town, where I interviewed him on his own urban mobility. It was during that meeting that he lit up with excitement when we discussed the 15-minute city. He invited me to meet him later that year in his neighborhood so he could show me his own local 15-Minute City lifestyle, which he expressed as valuable because, as he noted, he travels a lot but when he is home, and particularly due to his disability, it’s practical and less stressful to have everything close by. It’s a factor of quality of life.
During our talks, he also emphasized how crucial government support for disabled people is, for example, to help with support for assistance. He reflects that many people who do not get funding & cannot afford it on their own are trapped at home, fully dependent on friends or family (if they have such people to depend on) in order to fulfill daily functions. He reflects that “The infrastructure is getting better year by year, but there is a lot to do. We must improve accessibility for the disabled.” He noted, though, that from his experience as a wheelchair user, pavements in Warsaw are better than in Brussels.
How does your city / country support the needs of people with various disabilities that affect their mobility?
-Annika, Pedestrian Space
Check out the link for a bit more on my meetings with Mateusz: https://pedestrianspace.org/15-minute-city-perspective-voice-for-disabilities/
