A report in Hoy tells a sad truth. Polio is eradicated, but today motorcycles have replaced it as the new epidemic affecting especially young people. Motorcycle accidents have caused many more disabilities than polio in its worst days.
Dominican cities are not built for people with disabilities, leaving these people to fend for themselves or stay at home. The streets do not have ramps for better accessibility.
According to the Association of People with Physical-Motor Disabilities more than a million Dominicans today suffer from disabilities. Elías Modesto of Asodifimo says there are no guides to orient people on how to live with a disability.
According to the 2010 census, 12.4% of the population in the Dominican Republic has a disability. More than one million people. Traffic accidents have caused most of the physical-motor disabilities, says Rosalina Núñez, member of Asodifimo.
She said the stats do not include numbers on children with disabilities. She said this year’s national census to be held in November, should yield the specific numbers on this population group.
“If polio left many people affected, the polio of these times are traffic accidents,” said Nunez.
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Hoy
2 August 2022