Fix it! Just fix it!!

I must say I am terribly disappointed. I thought more of them. And that it just hadn’t happened yet. And I feel a bit stupid I have to say, or at least naive.

During the process of creating Väven, the new building for cultural arts which opened november 2014, there was a lot of resistance for moving the city library to the facility. 

The core of Umeå city center is extremely small.  And we are very lazy. Anything which isn’t within the square of three blocks feels remote. Like if the area around Pacific Place and Westlake Mall in Seattle was the only place to be. Anyway, at the core of these three blocks there is the Metro bus terminal, Vasaplan. A bit like the Grey Hound station in Seattle although a lot nicer. The city library was located right at Vasaplan, which of course was perfect. 10 steps and you were there. The library was also a great place to wait for your bus. The newspaper and magazine corner a warm and friendly companion while waiting.

So one of the big cons against moving the city library was that it would be too far from Vasaplan and hard to get to. Now, Väven isn’t located more than three blocks from Vasaplan, so that’s like a joke. That is, of course, if you don’t have any physical problems and are able to walk those blocks.

I used to defend the con argument with the obvious one: the City would of course see to there were buses stopping frequently at the entrances of the new city cultural center and library, anything else would be unthinkable!

Now it turns out I was wrong. The City has no intention what so ever to secure bus communications to Väven. The argument for that: Vasaplan is close enough for people to walk from. Well hello, I have news for you: not everybody can walk! There is also only one (!!!) handicap parking space located at Väven, which is a building stretching two blocks in a square.

I have periods when I can walk one block or maybe two, but I can’t do it by myself, someone needs to be with me. And there are times when I can only do a few steps, and those times are more frequent. I am physically challenged. I still have problems using the word handicapped about myself. Physically challenged. Temporarily. No, probably not.

Some people who are handicapped can still drive. And those people need a handicap space to park in. And I am sure there are more than one handicapped driving person who wants to visit Väven and the new city library.

Some people get around in a wheel chair, and most of the times they are assisted by someone. They might be able to take the bus to Vasaplan and get themselves to Väven. But as Umeå 6-7 months a year is covered in ice, slush or snow, I am sure that trip is not one they fondly go for.

I can’t take a bus, so for me the City ignorance is not a problem. I can’t drive, so that one single parking space doesn’t bother me (personally) either. I need someone who is kind enough driving me, letting me off right outside the entrance, then driving parking the car somewhere while I am sitting waiting for that someone to come back and be with me during the visit. So, I don’t fit in to any of those categories.

But I do feel deeply for everyone who is physically challenged and in pain trying to do this by themselves. It’s a most difficult, dangerous and vulnerable situation. And I can’t believe the complete ignorance and lack of empathy with the officials who are responsible for these decisions.

In fact, those decisions aren’t even legal. According to the Swedish discrimination law, the City is, already during planning, obligated to secure and provide availability for everyone. What the City of Umeå does (or more correct, doesn’t) is further more not according to the legally enforceable UN convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Which Sweden has signed and agreed on.

I feel embarrassed for myself about all the times I argued for the location of the new library at the Umeå River not being a problem. Umeå wanted to turn it’s face to the water again, like it once did, and just like Seattle is planning to as well. Of course the City of Umeå would also provide communications for all of us to be a part of this face lift!

And I feel sorry and sad for everyone who is now excluded from Väven, this amazing already award winning building, the new Umeå front porch.

But most of all I feel ashamed and mad for the City of Umeå breaking Swedish law and ignoring the UN convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability. And the only thing I can say here is: fix it! Just fix it!!