Journey from Skagen to Copenhagen opens eyes to substandard public access for wheelchair users

Jens Holst has had a busy nine days, riding his wheelchair 437km from the northern tip of the country to the capital to highlight poor access for wheelchair users.

Along his journey, the 39-year-old came across everything from ill-placed curbs and steps to public buildings, a lack of disabled toilet facilities and even a hospital neurology clinic located on the first floor with no elevator.

Holst  lost the use of his legs to multiple sclerosis and undertook his journey in an adapted hand-cranked wheelchair.

Along the way he visited 17 different towns and cities, and highlighted both the positive and negative accessibility aspects to local politicians.

‘It has been really, really hard but a great tour and we’ve got the message out there, which is really the best result we could ask for,’ Holst said as he made his way into the city centre yesterday.

A large crowd of supporters including Liberal MP Anne-Mette Winther Christiansen were there to welcome him.

Holst delivered a bag filled with documentation and photographic evidence of the poor wheelchair accessibility across the country to Christiansen, who promised to deliver the images to Commerce Minister Lene Espersen.

‘It would suit us well to set a good example in Christiansborg [the houses of parliament], as there is currently no access to the rostrum for wheelchair users,’ Christiansen said.

Next up for Holst is the hard-contact sport of Wheelchair Rugby when he joins his team-mates on the national squad for the European Championships being held in Copenhagen this October.