Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Sabhas to take the first initiative

CHENNAI: For persons with disabilities and senior citizens who frequent music sabhas in the city, here is some good news. The Federation of Sabhas in the city and The Shakti Foundation, a non-governmental organisation, have joined hands to make auditoriums disabled-friendly.

Reserving special seats near the door for persons with disabilities, providing temporary ramps this season and making provisions for permanent ramps by next and allotting exclusive parking spaces are under serious consideration.

Vasanth Raghuvir, Chairperson, The Shakti Foundation, recently wrote to the Federation of Sabhas here and says they have been “very responsive” so far. “Our foundation has been crusading for this for nearly two years. Music and arts are known to be therapeutic. It pains me to see senior citizens and persons with special needs finding it so hard to come in,” she says. R. Krishnaswamy, president, Federation of Sabhas, says many of the auditoriums were constructed decades ago.

“They [architects and designers] will have to improvise and make these provisions. I have written to other sabhas as well. We will certainly take this forward,” he says. Some sabhas do not have an auditorium of their own. A few hire other auditoriums or halls during the season. Sabhas should be able to make necessary arrangements in these places, too,” Mr. Krishnaswamy adds.

This happy note is not just for ‘rasikas,’ but for artists with disabilities too. Mridangam artist Erode Nagaraj, a person with physical disability, says: “This is a wonderful initiative.” He has, on several occasions, had to get on to the stage with great difficulty owing to the absence of ramps and elevators in several sabhas.

Some halls have elevators, but not enough room for a wheelchair to enter. “All the organisers are very helpful, but if the barriers in the physical environment can be removed, the going-for-a-concert experience will be more pleasant,” he adds. P. Saikrishnan, an IT professional and Abilympics champion with a physical disability, concurs. As a photographer, he finds the pits also extremely difficult to negotiate in most sabhas. “They have to provide access to the lobby , the dais, the toilets and the parking space,” he notes.

Barghav Sundaram, Managing Director, Callidai Motor Works, a company that manufactures powered wheelchairs and other mobility equipment, says : “Each building has to be studied in detail before provisions are made. Every one foot of height covered in a staircase would require six feet length on a ramp, or the ramp would be very steep. Providing wheelchair lifts is an alternative.”

While one or two sabhas may have ramps or elevators, the dais is often located considerably far from these, with a few steps in the connecting path, he adds. “We are willing to provide wheelchairs at the sabhas free of cost. I am sure sponsors will come forward to build ramps. Let us make it better for persons with disabilities this season itself,” he says.

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