A Czech man suffering from multiple sclerosis wanted to build a stair elevator for his apartment building at his own expense. The neighbors refused, and the man has to move out.

Need a lift

Graphic designer Viktor Chaloupka first lost sight in one eye, and later developed general fatigue and mobility problems.

He now has trouble moving from the living room into the kitchen. To climb the stairs to the third floor takes several minutes. More and more, he is confined to his wheelchair.

To help him to and from home, Chaloupka wanted a wheelchair elevator built along the building’s central stairs, which he would pay for.

First, however, he needed the permission of a majority of other apartment owners in the building. Six of his twelve neighbors voted against his proposal.

No help

In this case, the Czech Republic did not offer any assistance in promoting the rights of a person with disabilities, although people with similar problems may seek help from the Czech National Disability Council.

But no help was forthcoming in this case, and Chaloupka’s hopes were left to the will of his neighbors.

"People should realize that tomorrow, they may be in his position," said Radim Kozlovsky, Moravian-Silesian regional council for persons of disabilities, upon learning the decision against Chaloupka.

After two years of fighting for the lift, Viktor Chaloupka and his family finally decided to move to a house with a lift.