When a City Becomes a Barrier: Living with Disability and Mental Health Challenges

By Zabih Ullah | Psychologist, Wheelchair User and Disability Inclusion Advocate

For most people, using a footpath, boarding public transport, visiting a hospital or entering a public building is an ordinary part of daily life. For a wheelchair user, these simple activities can become difficult challenges.

I have personally experienced this contrast during my travels in Europe and after returning to Pakistan.

In several European countries, accessibility is part of everyday life. Accessible footpaths, roads, public transportation, buildings, healthcare facilities and public spaces allow wheelchair users to travel and participate in society with greater independence. I could move around without constantly worrying about whether a place would be accessible.

For a wheelchair user, that independence feels like freedom.

After returning to Pakistan, particularly in Peshawar, the difference became very clear. Inaccessible footpaths, transportation, buildings and public facilities often force wheelchair users to depend on others or avoid going out altogether.

As a psychologist and a wheelchair user, I have experienced the psychological impact of these barriers myself. There are times when I avoid public places or transportation simply because I already know accessibility may be a problem. Constantly thinking, “Can I enter? Can I use the transport? Will I need someone’s help?” can become mentally exhausting.

When people repeatedly avoid public spaces because of physical barriers, their social and personal lives can gradually become restricted. This can contribute to frustration, loneliness, social withdrawal and psychological distress.

This is why accessibility is not only an infrastructure or disability-rights issue. It is also a mental-health issue.

A wheelchair does not prevent a person from studying, working, travelling, socializing or enjoying life. An inaccessible environment can.

Pakistan, particularly its cities, needs greater attention to accessible footpaths, public transportation, healthcare facilities and public buildings. Accessibility should be treated as a basic requirement of an inclusive society, not as a favor to persons with disabilities.

My experience in Europe taught me a simple lesson: when the environment is accessible, a wheelchair user can live more independently and participate more fully in society.

We should not only ask what a person with a disability can or cannot do. We should also ask whether our environment is giving that person a fair opportunity to participate.

A wheelchair is not a limitation. An inaccessible environment can be.