การอยู่อาศัยของผู้พิการและทุพพลภาพ : กรณีศึกษา ชุมชนบางตลาดพัฒนา 1 (ชุมชนปากด่าน) จังหวัดนนทบุรี / สมเกียรติ ชิเนนทโรภาส = Living conditions of the disabled : a case study of Bangtalad Pattana Community 1, Nonthaburi Province / Somkiet Chinantarophas
In studying the living conditions of the disabled at present, it is found that there are still a large number of disabled people living outside welfare homes. Some have been discharged from the welfare homes since they are over 18. Some have completed the vocational training programs run by the Public Welfare Department. They now either live by themselves, with their families, or live in-groups along with able-bodied people in the community near the welfare homes. Most lodgings have not been designed with the disabled in mind. Especially in crowded communities, the physical features of space, passageways, as well as the socio-economic situations in the community certainly have affected the disabled's way of life. This research aims to study the housing features, the problems and the needs of the disabled in living in the Bangtalad Pattana Community 1 (the Pakdarn Community Section) in Pak Kret district, Nontaburi Province). This is a community where both disabled and able-bodied people live with each other. Research methods included field survey, observation, interviews, records of results, and analysis of related theories. It is also aimed at making recommendations for physical and socio-economic improvement. The research reveals that there are a total of 73 families living in this community. Among the 155 community members, 129 are disabled. The other 26 are not. There are seven conspicuous spots where the disabled cluster. The disabled fall into three groups 1) those discharged from the Pak Kret Disabled Children Welfare Home, 2) those from the Vocational Rehabilitation Center, Public Welfare Department, and 3) those who have never been on welfare. All three groups live together. The survey of the community and the housing structures have revealed the physical features that contribute to the unsuitable living conditions for the disabled as follows 1. the inconvenient passageways in the community are hindrances to the disabled's way of living. 2. the physical features of the buildings pose a limit on access to the buildings, the use of space inside the buildings, and the interactions among the disabled. 3. the location and the physical features of the buildings have an impact on the safety and security of the inhabitants, including potential fires and crime. 4. there are also problems regarding facilities in the buildings. According to the interviews, the disabled put more importance on their income than on the quality of their housing. Only the location of the community is suitable for the major occupation taken up by most of the disabled in the area, that is, selling government lotteries to earn a living. In addition, it is found that the disabled face the following obstacles in solving their housing problems: 1. as tenants, the disabled do not have the right to improve the housing 2. those disabled people who have bought a house lack the knowledge of how to solve physical housing problems 3. the disabled lack a role in solving housing problems. Due to the above factors, the disabled settle for the present conditions and live on with familiarity. In conclusion, there should be a short-term problem-solving process where a helper's group is a core in improving housing for the disabled and later, a long-term undertaking with the disabled themselves as core people. The stages in the problem-solving process follow 1. make the disabled aware of their housing problems 2. find the natural leaders in the group and make the disabled realize the benefits of mobilizing for ideas to solve problems 3. make the community administration see the importance of the disabled's self-reliance in terms of housing 4. let the disabled to have the rights and the opportunities to take part in the community administration 5. request support from concerned agencies, both in the government and the private sector and ask them to endorse the results of the self-reliance building process where the disabled also participate. 6. make the Bangtaladpattana Community 1 (the Pakdarn Community Section) a model community in learning about the disabled's independent living with the support and assistance from the community and the government based on their self-reliance concept.
