2023-09-09 11:06:00
In recent years, various actions have been carried out occasionally in public spaces by people with reduced mobility. Objectives, to make others aware of their daily reality, particularly in terms of reserved parking, and to challenge municipal authorities so that they finally do “more”. Until now, the initiatives were mainly discussed via a Facebook group “PMR in Mons”, made up of 689 members.
Nothing very official, then. “The problem with the Facebook group is that even if many of us join it, it doesn’t offer us any legitimacy,” explains Franck Dupont. “It was difficult to have any influence in discussions with the authorities, just as it was impossible to consider legal action if necessary.” Hence the creation of the Mons-Borinage PMR Association. The statutes were recently filed.
Beyond the great Mons
And there is no question for the board of directors to limit itself to greater Mons. “The problems we encounter here are identical to Colfontaine, Boussu or Quaregnon. The entire region is affected. Our scope of action will therefore go beyond the borders of Mons. We also plan to send a letter to all administrations in the region, including the mobility and works councils, to announce the birth of the association and request an audit of what has already been undertaken in terms of PMR development on the municipal territory.”
The main stakeholders still too often feel forgotten. And if until now, many suffered the situation in silence, those days are over. “It is high time to consider ourselves and offer us better accessibility. It is estimated that in the Mons-Borinage district, 300,000 people are PMR. It is enormous ! We are aware that the task will not be easy, that the challenge is titanic and that we will have to be able to make ourselves heard. But we are determined to make things happen.”
Collaboration with other associations already active is also planned in order to pool experiences and, ultimately, obtain satisfaction.
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