Last week, I went to the Justice building in Hasselt to the Chamber of Commerce to file some updated Foundation paperwork to be in order with the law. It turned out to be quite an adventure!
Last summer most justice departments in the District of Hasselt moved to the new building, and according to their website all departments were now situated at the new site.
There still was a layer of snow on the ground from a winter storm earlier that week. I was not worried, because it had been several days since the snowfall and a government building must surely be cleared.
I arrived by car together with my grandson Seamus. I had left my wheelchair at home as I had decided to use the baby carriage of my grandson as a walker. I would only have to park my car in the parking garage, go up with the elevator and file the paperwork. It would be as easy as cake!
I followed the signs to the parking garage and to the handicap parking. I was relieved that I had a good parking spot. I placed my grandson in his carriage and I walked toward the elevator.
SURPRISE!!!!!!
"Due to safety precautions, the elevator is not in service!"
"Due to safety precautions, the elevator is not in service!"
Okay, here I am standing looking at a steep flight of stairs that I need to go down! How the hell am I going to get down those stairs when I have problems negotiating stairs by myself, but now I have my grandson, a baby carriage and a bag? I was glad that I had left the wheelchair at home. I must have stood there at least five minutes thinking about what I should do. Just as I decided to go back to the car, two young men approached me and offered to help me down the stairs. Holding my grandson, I slowly negotiated each stair while the young men carried the carriage. It could only get better from here. The parking exit was on the side of the building facing the train station, so I needed to walk around the corner to the front of the building. Horrified I realised that the sidewalk nor the street had been cleared and I had to literally skate my way across.
Very slowly I walked around the corner. As I came closer, I realised that I had to negotiate an icy temporary staircase two flight up with my grandson, a carriage and dislocating joints. I asked a city watch employee if there were any other way to get to the entrance. He replied that I could take the delivery ramp around the corner. Pfff, that is about a kilometer walk. I turned around and walked back the way I came to walk a bit further to the beginning of the ramp.
NOOOOOOOOOOO! The road on the ramp had not been cleared of snow, no salt or sand, and the walk way was still more than 25 cm ice snow! I was here, I was going on, did not want my time wasted any further. Slowly I pushed the carriage through the heavy snow and walked centimeter by centimeter on. The ramp was steeper than I thought and even more dangerous than I thought. Danger of slipping and falling, but I pushed on slowly. My hips dislocated 4 times as I walked the ramp. It took me 20 minutes or more as I finally approached the building. Heh, I saw a few cars parked on top, but nowhere a handicapped parking in site. Just before the building the sidewalk was cleared from snow.
I walked to the front desk and the receptionist send me to the fourth floor where the chamber of commerce was located. Luckily, the elevators in the building were in working condition. Proud that I finally made it, I asked to file the necessary papers. "Sorry miss, but the only department that did not move are the people that handle non-profit foundations. All other departments moved, but unfortunately the information on the website is wrong."
I could not believe my ears, I walked all that way, overcoming hurdles, dislocating a shoulder and my hips four times, just to hear that I was not able to file the paperwork. How could this be? I was livid! No other option then to go back down the ramp, back to the parking garage and go home.
It took me a lot longer to get down the ramp. I had arrived with my car at 09:25 at the garage and I had arrived back at the entrance of the garage at 11:10. So long had taken my walk! How long would I have taken if I had to roll my wheelchair? Longer, that was for sure.
Now I still had to get up a flight of stairs. Luckily, there was a man about my age who was kind enough to help me. He even helped me all the way to my car. At exactly 11:30 I drove out of the parking garage, two euros wasted on parking.
In April last year, I remembered a newspaper article that the elevators were not working, but that it soon would be taken care of. Nine months later, nothing was done to remedy the situation.
Shame on you Belgium, shame on you NMBS (Belgian Railway who is owner of the building and site), Shame on you both, you should be an example to the rest of Belgium how handicap accessibility should be done right, not an example how you should not do it!
