{"id":84,"date":"2013-11-27T22:20:24","date_gmt":"2013-11-28T06:20:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dredf.org\/web-log\/?p=84"},"modified":"2014-12-19T11:56:17","modified_gmt":"2014-12-19T19:56:17","slug":"center-independent-living-kathmandu-gang","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.dredf.org\/web-log\/2013\/11\/27\/center-independent-living-kathmandu-gang\/","title":{"rendered":"The Center for Independent Living \u2013 Kathmandu Gang"},"content":{"rendered":"

Day 5 – Nepal Exchange<\/h2>\n

\"StaffConsidering how long it takes to travel from Berkeley, California to Kathmandu, Nepal, you could say my stay is rather short \u2014 seven days. But, thanks to Rakshya and Nirmala who seem to know everyone in the disability rights \/independent living and women’s rights communities, my schedule is jam packed from morning until night. Fortunately for me, Nirmala found a brief gap after our visit to the US Embassy (more about that visit later) and I got to meet the staff at CIL \u2013 Kathmandu today.<\/p>\n

If you didn’t know CIL-Kathmandu<\/a><\/svg> was in the building, you might think that it was a motor scooter shop—there’s a garage in the front of the building where at least four of the staff’s four-wheeled scooters are parked. Others rest in front of the building. Four-wheelers are used by people with disabilities \u2014 including people who use wheelchairs to travel independently around Kathmandu—there is no accessible public transportation (there’s no public transportation at all) and no private accessible transportation. Wheelchair users transfer to the seat of the scooter and pull their chairs onto the small space between the seat and handlebars (or if your chair folds, hook it onto the side of the scooter).<\/p>\n

\"Typical<\/a>I felt so completely at home with the staff of CIL \u2013 Kathmandu (of course it didn’t hurt that they were excited to have someone from Berkeley, the home of the Independent Living Movement). CIL began in 2006, just after its secretary general, Krishna Gautam (a wheelchair user), had returned from 10 months of leadership training and working in a Japanese independent living center \u2014 it changed his life and the future of many people’s lives in Nepal. Krishna returned, gathered his disabled friends and launched CIL. <\/p>\n

Independent living in Kathmandu is challenging \u2014 like I mentioned, there is no accessible transit, there are very few sidewalks and no curb cuts, and the streets are not safe (traffic is chaotic). There is very little accessible housing, and before CIL, no personal assistance services. Additionally, all assistive devices, until very recently, came from outside the country and were difficult to get. (Whirlwind Wheelchairs \u2014 they’re interested in talking to you.)<\/p>\n

From the beginning, CIL has focused its efforts on: <\/p>\n