Samuel Nobile de Oliveira is a paraplegic resident of Brazil who became increasingly frustrated with the lack of action from the council to make public buildings accessible to wheelchair users. After weeks of having to ask those around him to carry him up the single step entrance, Samuel decided to take matters into his own hands.
On one of his few days off, armed only with a basic timber frame, a bucket of cement and some basic hand tools, Samuel settled himself down beside the step in question and began the long process of building a disabled ramp to ensure he nor his fellow wheelchair users would have to feel frustrated or let down by the lack of access again.
Samuel is living proof of how important disabled access is and how far some people are willing to go to make life just that little bit easier.
The council in question were very quick to apologise and promise disabled access in all public buildings once this story became public, but would they have cared if the world had never found out? If Samuel’s story had never made the news?
How far do handicapped people have to go for people to realise just how genuine their plight is? Must humanity go through the process whereby authorities have to be publicly exposed and needs nationalised before they begin to care?
Samuel, we take our hat off to you. Without saying a word you have shown the world how much a simple ramp can mean to someone unwillingly confined to using a wheelchair.