(Article written based on a Czech Article ‘Zivot na koleckach’ and a short documentary film‘Experiment’)
In January 2009, the Czech TV 2 Station has decided to broadcast a series of short documentaries called ‘Experiment’. The aim of this project is to focus on existing prejudices and prevailing stereotypes towards people who are considered by the mainstream society as “different”. ‘Experiment’ is here to open the viewer’s eyes. People often do not even realize that they treat “different” people inappropriately or offensively. ‘Experiment’ brings a unique testimony of a randomly chosen person (often a celebrity) who was to try himself/herself for 48 hours what is it like to become an ‘outsider’ in the 21st century.
In the first part of the series ‘Experiment’, a tough motorbike driver Vaclav tries himself what it is like to be confined to a wheelchair. In a role of a wheelchair user, Vaclav encounters problems and situations of everyday life, such as traveling alone by train, meeting his girlfriend and seeing her reaction, visiting the Prague’s Municipal Office trying to register for barrier-free housing, and going to his current job. All these tasks are recorded on a hidden camera.
Vaclav realizes very soon that being disabled is not particularly easy. It is quite problematic to travel by a public transport, since most of Prague’s trams are not barrier-free and thus suitable for use by a disabled person. On his way to Prague by an allegedly barrier-free train, Vaclav needs to use a bathroom, however Vaclav cannot use it because of very narrow aisle and several stairs leading to the toilet. A disobliged conductor recommends leaving the train and using a bathroom at the nearby train station. Of course, train leaves without Vaclav, and he has to wait for the next one.
At the begging of this 48-hour experiment, Vaclav was introduced to Jan Potmesil, a film and theatre Czech actor who has been confined to the wheelchair for more than 18 years. Despite his post- car-accident paralysis of his legs, Potmesil is a very active man; he works for TV and the Theatre in Celetna, he is married to a journalist with whom he has got two children. Jan Potmesil is to provide first-hand consultancy to Vaclav during the experiment.
During the experiment, Vaclav also finds out how complicated it is to deal with a bureaucracy related to finding a barrier-free housing. He realizes that it is impossible to work at his current job, since the excursion boat he works on is simply not “wheelchair users friendly”. He also experiences quite constrained reactions of people around, which do not make him feel very comfortable. And last but not least, he tries what a terrible feeling is to fall back on the pavement while trying to overcome a barrier. Without help, Vaclav would not be able to get back on his wheelchair.
At the end, Vaclav is very happy free his legs and leave his temporary wheelchair. He admits that being a wheelchair user is extremely difficult and self-demanding. However, there are many people in the Czech Republic, who are much less fortunate than Vaclav. Their impairments are permanent, and they have to deal with such uncomfortable situations on everyday basis. Seeing this experiment, viewers may reconsider their attitudes towards disabled people.
In the first part of the series ‘Experiment’, a tough motorbike driver Vaclav tries himself what it is like to be confined to a wheelchair. In a role of a wheelchair user, Vaclav encounters problems and situations of everyday life, such as traveling alone by train, meeting his girlfriend and seeing her reaction, visiting the Prague’s Municipal Office trying to register for barrier-free housing, and going to his current job. All these tasks are recorded on a hidden camera.
Vaclav realizes very soon that being disabled is not particularly easy. It is quite problematic to travel by a public transport, since most of Prague’s trams are not barrier-free and thus suitable for use by a disabled person. On his way to Prague by an allegedly barrier-free train, Vaclav needs to use a bathroom, however Vaclav cannot use it because of very narrow aisle and several stairs leading to the toilet. A disobliged conductor recommends leaving the train and using a bathroom at the nearby train station. Of course, train leaves without Vaclav, and he has to wait for the next one.
At the begging of this 48-hour experiment, Vaclav was introduced to Jan Potmesil, a film and theatre Czech actor who has been confined to the wheelchair for more than 18 years. Despite his post- car-accident paralysis of his legs, Potmesil is a very active man; he works for TV and the Theatre in Celetna, he is married to a journalist with whom he has got two children. Jan Potmesil is to provide first-hand consultancy to Vaclav during the experiment.
During the experiment, Vaclav also finds out how complicated it is to deal with a bureaucracy related to finding a barrier-free housing. He realizes that it is impossible to work at his current job, since the excursion boat he works on is simply not “wheelchair users friendly”. He also experiences quite constrained reactions of people around, which do not make him feel very comfortable. And last but not least, he tries what a terrible feeling is to fall back on the pavement while trying to overcome a barrier. Without help, Vaclav would not be able to get back on his wheelchair.
At the end, Vaclav is very happy free his legs and leave his temporary wheelchair. He admits that being a wheelchair user is extremely difficult and self-demanding. However, there are many people in the Czech Republic, who are much less fortunate than Vaclav. Their impairments are permanent, and they have to deal with such uncomfortable situations on everyday basis. Seeing this experiment, viewers may reconsider their attitudes towards disabled people.
Experiment: Zivot na koleckach. (2009). 01. 08. 2009. Ceska Televize. From http://www.ceskatelevize.cz/program/detail.php?idp=10211487240
To watch the movie online (Czech language) go to: http://www.ceskatelevize.cz/ivysilani/208572233190001-experiment/
To watch the movie online (Czech language) go to: http://www.ceskatelevize.cz/ivysilani/208572233190001-experiment/
The topic of this article and whole blog is very interesting for me. I've seen this documentary about healthy person using wheelchair for 2 days and I consider it really useful, because it helps us realize how lucky we are when we can use our legs freely. I think that movies like this one can provide ordinary people with much deeper understanding of the life of disabled people.
ReplyDeleteHi Sona,
ReplyDeleteI am very glad that you have chosen this topic for your blog. I think that none of us, who were fortunate enough to be healthy, can ever understand how the disabled have to feel. Lately I have experienced a kind of experiment myself, when I visited a restaurant "in dark".
While visiting the restaurant, you are firstly introduced to the menu and your future waiter in the "light part" and then, your waiter (who is blind) takes you to the "dark part" for the meal. The thing about this is that, as the name suggests, you cannot see anything in the dark part and you can basically try how is it to be blind and try to eat. I have appreciated the experience highly because I think I can now "understand" a little better how one of the unfortunate groups have to feel.
Also, I have lived for a year with a dawn's syndrom kid, which has left another great experience and bit of understanding too.
I appreciate your life experience and would like to thank you for creating this blog!
Viktorie