The mobility of people with disabilities is a daily struggle, especially since the riots. In Nouméa, although work has been carried out in recent years to improve public access, it is still difficult for disabled people to move around in certain areas of the city.
Several districts of Nouméa are currently under construction. This is particularly the case at Faubourg Blanchot, since March. Jean-Michel Gowet is the president of the Valentin Haüy association. Visually impaired, he must now adapt and find his way as best he can using his cane. “I have to ask local residents if there are any changes, otherwise I move forward haphazardly” he confides.
Difficult to move around safely, especially when looking at the sidewalks: for Jean Saussay, the president of the “handicaps” collective, certain installations lack coherence.
In the Vallée du Tir, the chaotic landscape and destroyed sidewalks do not reassure Charlotte Thaiawe, in a wheelchair. His travels are increasingly difficult because of the urban violence of May 13, which disfigured many places.
These mobility problems are aggravated by the lack of civic-mindedness of certain motorists, by parking, for example, in spaces reserved for people with disabilities.
