Paralysis might stop some people from moving, but our firm’s San Diego spinal cord injury lawyers know that sometimes it can be the layout of their surroundings, rather than their own physical limitations, that keeps those living with paralysis stationary.

The New York Times has reported on the Russian Paralympic team’s efforts to make Moscow a spinal cord injury-friendly city and accessible to those who are disabled.  The team’s hometown is under-equipped with ramps, elevators, and a public transportation system that many of the country’s Paralympian’s rely on to get to practice and competitions.

This is strange, since the Russian Paralymic team brought home 38 medals, 12 of them gold, from Vancouver this past year.  You’d think a country centered on sports might want to help their greatest assets but unfortunately not in this case.

Paralysis accessibility in Moscow is being highlighted by the Russian Paralympic team.

A gold medalist at the 2010 Summer and Winter Paralympics is a paraplegic athlete who has won many awards since the early 1990’s and is a proud and accomplished sportsman to say the least.  However, since he is paralyzed from the waist-down, most of his sports-centric country has no idea who this is or seems to care.

That’s all about to change, with one man and other paralyzed athletes joining up with Perspektiva — a disabled rights group based out of Moscow — to get the Russian government to make their cities more accessible to those in wheelchairs or with other disabilities.

Since the recent success of its own paralyzed athletes, Moscow has tried to make an attempt to outfit cities with the necessary ramps and elevators to help their citizens in wheelchairs get around town.  But more often than not, these are lackluster efforts, with ramps that are too small, elevators that do not work, and public transportation drivers who refuse to operate passenger lifts.

In light of the 2014 Winter Olympics and Paralympics being held within Russian borders, the country has vowed to help with the efforts to improve lives of those citizens who are differently-abled.  The Russian government has cited the Paralympic team’s recent success as reason enough to implement some changes in terms of urban accessibility, but some remain skeptical.

If you or someone you know has a spinal cord injury or was paralyzed during an accident, contact our bilingual San Diego law firm at 1-858-551-2090 for a FREE consultation with an experienced spinal cord injury lawyer.  You may also click here and submit your case for a FREE online review.  We work on a contingency fee basis, which means you owe nothing until we recover a fair settlement on your behalf.