For more years than she cares to remember, Marinah Cut has had to crawl into her Indonesian home. Her legs gave out long ago. But now, thanks to the generosity of Canadians, the 80-year-old grandmother is able to stand tall when she walks through her front door.

Cut was one of thousands of people living in Banda Aceh whose lives were devastated when the tsunami tore through the area on December 26, 2004.

The Canadian Red Cross, using generous donations from Canadians and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), has built more than 5,500 new homes to date in Indonesia. To date, 15 have been converted to accessible housing, outfitted with handrails at the front and back doors, and sitting toilets.

More comfortable

Marinah Cut used to have to rely on her granddaughter to go to the bathroom, holding her hand for support. "Sometimes I felt sorry for her, because she had to 'serve' me most of the time," says Cut. "But now, I don't have to wait for her to come to my house. I can go to the toilet by myself. I feel a lot more comfortable living here."

That sense of pride and independence is echoed by Azhari. The father of two lost one of his legs in a motorbike crash more than ten years ago. With it, he lost his confidence and ability to participate in both his home and family life. But now he lives in an accessible home, built by the Canadian Red Cross. He has returned to work and can send his children to school.

"I love this house because it allows me to have access to the toilet without any difficulties and that gives me freedom. I think people with a disability should be encouraged and supported by being given a friendly environment," Azhari remarks.

Accessible housing

Very few public facilities or houses in Banda Aceh are accessible to people with disabilities. When the Canadian Red Cross identified this need, it ensured it included accessible housing in its plans.

Dino Argianto is in charge of the project accessibility unit for Handicap International, a non-governmental organization working in Indonesia. "Except for the Canadian Red Cross and the local government, few organizations have been very supportive towards the implementation and socialization of accessible housing. In-home access is very important for people with disabilities, not only because of the physical factors, but also because of the psychological factors," he explains.

"When a person is encouraged to use the accessible ramps and handrails, they realize they can walk again. It increases their independence and their self-worth because they're able to do things by themselves again. And that helps them gain social acceptance."

See where the story takes place (requires Google Earth installed): http://www.ifrc.org/docs/news/09/09030901/banda-aceh.kmz

Versión en español: http://www.ifrc.org/sp/docs/news/09/09030901/index.asp

VErsion en français : http://www.ifrc.org/fr/docs/news/09/09030901/index.asp