Áyax Agassini Aguilar, a 17-year-old who files reports, has encountered numerous public spaces that are not designed for people like him since he began using a wheelchair.
“Throughout my life, I’ve seen these types of obstacles in many places I’ve visited—infrastructure-related obstacles,” says Áyax, the creator of the “Rueda y Reporta” initiative. This initiative involves reporting obstacles to the authorities.
Launched in December of last year, the initiative emerged while Áyax was in high school. To date, he has submitted around 20 reports, with four already addressed by the authorities.
“I wanted to create a project that could help me and others. While researching, I realized the significant problem of inaccessibility in spaces, not only here in Mérida but throughout Mexico and the world.”
Áyax began using a wheelchair at the age of 10 when he was diagnosed with a spinal cord cyst.
“The cyst started compressing my spinal cord and affected the lower part of my body. While I don’t have a complete spinal cord injury, it does limit my ability to walk and move like an average person,” says the young man.
Although he has always noticed obstacles on streets, in parks, shopping malls, and stores, Áyax didn’t face significant issues because his father assisted him. However, when he entered high school, he had to commute alone from home to school.
On one occasion, while heading home, his friends helped him navigate obstacles. Another time, when he was with a friend, they had to ask a passerby for help to lift the wheelchair up an extremely steep ramp.
He then began identifying the routes he took from his school in the Pedregales de Lindavista neighborhood to his home near the CICY.
“I initially identified points along the route I took when going solo from school to my house via Va y Ven. I left Plantel Azteca prepa 13 and reached Paseo Verde, where I took a bus to prepa 8, followed by another bus to my home.”
Áyax observed obstacles on Paseo Verde, including a sidewalk obstructed by a utility pole cable, extremely steep ramps, a sidewalk blocked by a Telmex utility box, cracked and potholed sidewalks, and pedestrian crossings without ramps.
His Contribution: “Rueda y Reporta”
In addition to posting his observations on “Rueda y Reporta” across Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, Áyax submitted his findings to the municipal authorities in January. He even toured the reported locations with them.
“We are currently working with the municipal government. Administrative processes and the upcoming change in administration have caused some delays. So far, it has been a request for various spaces, but I continue reporting on my pages.”
Áyax highlights common issues such as the lack of functional ramps and accessible bathrooms for people with disabilities.
