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Society a stumbling block?
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Life seems to be quite a nightmare for the physically challenged in Chennai. GEETA PADMANABHAN speaks to a cross section of people to find out how disabled-friendly the city is...
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Rajiv Rajan of Vidya Sagar had to reach Chennai that evening. He hoisted himself on to the State bus, not without difficulty, and bent down to drag his collapsible wheel chair in. "Don't do that," said the conductor from behind. "You cannot board unless you have an escort".
At a seminar on noise pollution, someone suggested, "If the noise levels in factories damage hearing, why don't we hire the hearing impaired for those jobs?"
On Anna Salai, a group of boys deliberately put a blind man on the wrong bus. Three years ago, a disabled student on the merit list could not join an engineering course at the Anna University because his classes were held on the third floor.
Every disabled person in the city has such stories to tell. The Chennaiites' attitude towards the disabled alternates between an "Iyyo pavam" to smug self-admiration, after parting with a donation or a job. Employing the handicapped ensures one to a reward in life. Between these positions are phrases like "What are all those NGOs doing?" and the totally insensitive "It is his fate, he has to suffer it," delivered with a shrug.
"What is tragic is not the disability itself but the public attitude towards it," argues Jayshree Raveendran, director, Ability Foundation. "The disabled are not for slotting on grounds of their physical limitations. They should be viewed as people with potential. Their intelligence is in no way impaired." She adds, "As members of the society, they should be a part of all policy deliberations of the Government. `Nothing for us, without us' is gathering momentum in the country."
This is where the People With Disabilities Act, 1996, gains enormous significance. It is a comprehensive document that aims to create an ambience where the disabled can live and work like everybody else. It emphasises non-discrimination in their right to education, health, property and employment. It makes three per cent reservation of jobs for the handicapped mandatory. It insists on provisions to make all public and private utilities accessible to them.
Computer education has opened a whole spectrum of opportunities for the disabled. Home delivery (of food, provisions, newspapers, pressed clothes) can give the non-ambulatory a high degree of comfort. Shobana Paul, HR, Food World, says the hearing-impaired they employ "are very focussed and are easy to work with." Corporates such as Kimji Hansraj Leather Company and Laser Soft Info Systems have qualified disabled (trained by Ability Foundation) on their rolls. But what is life for them outside plush offices?
H. Ramakrishnan, a well-known TV journalist, dubs Chennai a distinctly disabled-unfriendly city. "We survive because of our inner strength alone. Who is willing to enforce our right to access? I cannot pay my bills because there are no low counters in any of the banks. Nor can I browse in a bookstore. The Medical Board that issues certificates to the disabled meets on the first floor of GH. I am not allowed entry into Perumal temples because I wear callipers. Don't I have the right to worship?"
Dhanapal, the Joint Commissioner, Cultural and Religious Endowments, has a ready answer. "We give preference to the handicapped in any queue in the temples," he asserts. "Temple sevaks are always ready to help anyone with locomotor difficulties. But there are customs and traditions to be followed. Allowing someone with shoes into the praharam will affect the sentiments of the other worshippers. Ramps at the entrance for the wheelchair bound? That's not possible. Anyway the sanctum is too narrow for a wheelchair to go in."
"Religious leaders should consider this," continues Ramakrishnan, moving on to other areas of annoyance. "Profession tax and parking fee can be waived for us. Those who marry the disabled should be given financial assistance. At traffic signals, vehicles should stop before the marking so that the handicapped can cross without difficulty. Why can't the Railways earmark lower berths for us?"
Jayaram, Chief Commercial Manager, Southern Railway remarks, "There is a ramp with railings for barrier-free entry into the Central. Two parking lots are reserved and the walkway to the building is non-slippery. There is a suitable water tap and a toilet on the ground floor, bright signs for those with low vision. About 20 staff members are Ability Foundation trained sign-language communicators. Rougher edges for the platform and provision for inter-platform transfer are on the anvil." What about lower berths? "Once the reservation form indicates that the concession for the handicapped has been availed of, a lower berth becomes automatic."
This concession is extended only to the orthopaedically handicapped. What about those who cannot see? Don't they need lower berths? What if one travels first class? How about reservation forms in Braille?
Dipti Bhatia of Vidya Sagar wants to know how a blind person is supposed to distinguish the colours of the post boxes. Or how she can write a cheque or fill an MO form. Or why elevators in buildings cannot have embossed floor numbers or announcements.
Actress Revathi Menon asks, "We now talk of integrating the handicapped into regular school systems. How many schools have ramps or railings at the entrance? Does the CMDA check buildings to make them accessible to the disabled?"
Mallika Ganapathi of Vidya Sagar would like the present `concrete' school curriculum made flexible to the needs of the disabled. She recommends a multi-level grading system to facilitate inclusive education.
Mallika Ramarao would like wider aisles in department stores. "Spencer Plaza has a ramp for wheel chairs but the reception area is two steps lower. And modified toilets are a must in all public places. Even the qualified among the disabled can't get jobs because the offices are not user-friendly. Employers, most often, don't even consider paying the auto fare for those who cannot walk. It is the poor among the disabled that suffer the most."
The Ability Foundation, along with Vidya Sagar and Tamil Nadu Federation for the Physically Handicapped, has initiated an `Access Audit' of the city. Rajeev, a team member, cheerfully lists out some details. "Egmore and suburban stations have neither ramps nor low counters for wheelchair users. People using crutches cannot get into trains because they stop for barely a minute. At the Central, the counter for the handicapped is on the second floor. Citibank (in fact, most banks), the Employment Exchange, University Library, Income Tax Office, movie houses, shops are all built without ramps. It is difficult to get the chair on to the promenade of the Elliots beach."
Visually impaired Sesuraj, master trainer at NAB, finds commuting extremely dangerous. Travelling from Kumbanchavadi, he gets down at Rippon Building where he has to take the subway. But his bus stops 200 metres away from it, forcing him to find his way through a maze of autos, push carts and sundry obstacles. "Why can't MTC vehicles stop close to the subways in the city?" he asks.
While CMDA rules are routinely flouted, what really galls is the warped thinking in providing the so-called "facilities".
At a popular cinema hall, the ramp is at the end of a flight of steps. Buses have seats reserved for the handicapped but the boarding stairs are too high. MRTS stations have lifts but you can't reach them without climbing polished granite steps. Which new shop, food or entertainment mall can play host to the disabled? The exception to all this is the Tidel Park, which has been designed with ramps, lifts and optical turnstiles.
Also Shakti Foundation's `Project Ramp' (a movie, awareness events) has had success in getting ramps constructed at places like Taj Coromandel, Spencer Plaza, Airport and DG Vaishnav College. It has also managed to get 32 parking zones earmarked for the disabled. A sticker collected from the Foundation will get a wheelchair user parking priority.
"But total accessibility is a long way off," reminds Ramakrishnan. "The policemen help us cross the road. That is the whole point. We want to live without much need for assistance."
"And yet," adds Raveendran, "people are beginning to respond and are getting sensitised. The media can play a key role in raising the level of awareness."
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