Netizens Came Up with Memes About Wheelchair Ramp Along EDSA Busway
FROM RAMP TO SLIDE – The wheelchair ramp at the new EDSA busway’s Philam station in Quezon City, which went viral, has now become a popular topic for memes.
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) is facing criticism after a newly built wheelchair ramp at an EDSA busway station went viral on social media for being too steep. The ramp, located at the PhilAm station in Quezon City, was intended as an alternative to stairs. However, social media users have compared the ramp’s incline to rollercoasters and water slides, raising concerns about its usefulness.
Bless Adriano from the accessibility group Kasali Tayo criticized the MMDA for their response, noting that while adding a ramp is a positive step, it doesn’t meet accessibility standards. The MMDA explained that height restrictions from the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) limited their design options. They admitted that the ramp isn’t ideal for wheelchair users but argued it still helps senior citizens, pregnant women, and others who find stairs difficult.
Apparently, the ramp does not meet the requirements of Batas Pambansa 344, a law that requires ramps to have a gradient no steeper than 1:12 and to be no longer than six meters without landings. The ramp at PhilAm station has a much steeper gradient of 1:4 (14 degrees), lacks proper handrails, and has a surface that isn’t non-slip, which experts say defeats the purpose of making it easier for people with disabilities.
Architects suggest that the MMDA may have had trouble fitting a properly sized ramp into the available space and criticized spending on a ramp that may not be effective. They argue that the project failed to achieve its goal of improving accessibility.
Meanwhile, the wheelchair ramp at the new EDSA busway’s Philam station in Quezon City, which went viral, has now become a popular topic for memes.
