A young man in a wheelchair fell from a cliff and crashed into a tree

Jonathan Box, 28 years old, who was injured in 2009 14 years ago in an attack on a youth bar in Tel Aviv and remained sitting in a wheelchair, fell with his wheelchair from the entrance to a building in Neve Shanan and broke his shoulder.

It was the anti-skid stickers that caused the fall

According to him, it was the remains of anti-slip stickers that caused his fall: "On Thursday 31.8.23/XNUMX/XNUMX I went out to Trumpeldor Street and wanted to enter the store. There was a raised entrance square with mats on it, designed to prevent slipping. I got on the mat with the wheelchair, and it started to slide down. I held on to the wheels, but the carpet continued to deteriorate. I flipped over with the wheelchair and the entire left side crashed into the tree. I broke my shoulder from the fall. My hands are my legs, I do everything with my hands. What bothers me the most is that if they only looked at the condition of the decals, All this would not have happened."

Box continues to tell Hai Pa the news corporation:

Those who saw what happened were two Egged drivers. They were on a break for a few minutes and saw me rolling, ran to me and helped me. I asked them for their names, but they said they just wanted to help.

Once, when I wasn't in a wheelchair, I didn't understand why people complained about accessibility, but today I understand"

"I encounter a lot of inaccessible places in Haifa." He continues and adds: "I lived on Berel Street in the past, and the trash cans were placed in an impossible way for me. I couldn't cross the nearby crosswalk because of the irons of the cans, which were on the crosswalk. As a person walking I didn't feel That. But in a wheelchair, you can't go through crosswalks like that, and sidewalks also have problems. One of the problems is a pothole in the middle of the sidewalk, which if my wheel gets into, I roll forward. Once, when I wasn't in a wheelchair, I didn't understand why people complained about accessibility , but today I understand."

Attorney Ron Aviv: "Those who make a building accessible should also make sure that the accessibility is preserved"

Attorney Ron Aviv explains that in terms of accessibility there is a difference between buildings that were built before the law came out and buildings that were built after it:

When we talk about accessibility, a distinction must be made between the construction of new buildings, where accessibility is already integrated into the planning requirements, and the need to make existing buildings accessible. The State of Israel - and certainly Haifa, and many of the buildings around the city - existed even before the important legislation came into the world, which ensures that everyone, including the disabled and handicapped, has reasonable access to all services, businesses and places of entertainment.

It's not enough to "run and forget"

This is how he goes on to say: "The various authorities are involved in enforcement, and there are also those who are obsessively engaged in searching for failures, in order to file financial claims. However, like any obligation that exists in the law, the initial performance is not enough, in terms of "routine and forget", but it must be ensured that the ongoing maintenance is carried out as a series, to ensure that every failure is corrected, and every wear and tear is taken care of.'

Mandatory to preserve and maintain

"This obligation does not derive only from the legislation regulating the accessibility provisions, but also from the general tort law, which obliges anyone who performs an action to ensure that it is performed reasonably, without being negligent," Aviv continues. "It is also appropriate and correct in my opinion to derive from the rule that wherever a governmental authority is given authority and permission to perform any action, this also means the obligation to perform the same action, where it is appropriate and required. Similarly, anyone who is charged with the duty to make a building accessible to the public, the meaning of the duty is not only to get out of the hands of the initial duty, but also to preserve and maintain the accessibility, so that it fulfills its purpose on an ongoing basis."

Mona Laham: "There have been achievements in accessibility over the years, but there is still a lot of work to be done"

Mona Laham, An activist at the Center for Independent Living, tells Lahi Fa the news corporation:

I have suffered from the accessibility in Haifa for 18 years, since I have been sitting in a wheelchair. Many places are not accessible to the disabled: sidewalks, cafes, public transportation, restaurants. In my work, I deal more with the accessibility of restaurants and public transportation. Unfortunately, some are helping to change the situation and some are not, including the Haifa Municipality. I have asked them many times to take down pillars that obstruct roads in Haifa or to make a sidewalk accessible, and nothing happens. Maybe people have more awareness in recent years, but they choose to close their eyes.

Disabled people should be included in the decision-making process

"It should be noted that over the years there have also been successes," she continues and adds: "They started making public transportation accessible and raising awareness of how to behave with people with disabilities on public transportation. The matron, for example, has a ramp that allows wheelchair access. But it is not enough. Disabled people should be included in the decision-making process or in certain planning for them.'

"We are supposed to be like everyone else"

"When I leave the house I think 1000 times whether I have the possibility to travel in the same place I am going to. Sometimes people park in a way that blocks us and it's frustrating. We are supposed to be like everyone else. In the German colony, for example, there is only one restaurant that is accessible in all respects. What is it worth if you can't access the bathroom in a restaurant for example? It gives us the feeling that we are not welcome."

One of the building owners Rami Cohen: I am not familiar with the case

One of the owners of the building, Rami Cohen: "I am not familiar with the case, since there was no contact with us. I suggest that the person contact us."

The municipality's response will be attached to the article when received.

Jonathan would like to contact the bus drivers, who helped him. His phone number: 058-6655146.