Indian cinema apart from being just about glamour, cheesy latke-jhatke, incredible locales sometimes bring subjects to the limelight that we have happily swept under the carpet. Apathetic attitude of the society towards disability! The recent movie ‘Kaabil’ has once again brought the issue on the discussion table. Admit it or not, we ALL guilty of this, intentionally or unintentionally.
Chandigarh has around 14796 persons who suffer from one or the other kind of disability (as per 2011 census data) and Regional Institute of Mentally Handicapped, Government Rehabilitation Institute for Intellectual Disabilities (GRIID) and Institute for Blind are doing laudable job in inculcating the much-needed confidence in them and helping them join the ‘mainstream society’, but how is the world outside these institutes like? Is it ‘Kaabil’ enough to make them feel competent to rub shoulders with so-called ‘normal’ people?
Just as simple a thing as car parking!
Last week, newspapers were running the story of how administration has washed away its hands by installing ‘Parking for Disabled Person’ signboards, but what about making the area around disability-friendly?
As per The Indian Express field survey, disturbing facts came to limelight:
- At the parking lot in Sector 9, a signboard is installed at such a place where there is no ramp available to reach the market.
- The signboards near Neelam Theatre in Sector 17 are next to the railing which needs to be jumped.
- Another flaw in the sector 17 was detected in the parking lot near Capital Book Store, in which though a signboard ‘parking for disabled person’ was installed and the particular area is a permanent autorickshaw stand and there is no parking available.
- In Sector 37, the signboard was installed at the entry point of market parking. But the access would be blocked if a two-wheeler is parked there.
- In Sector 23, the ramp is not accessible.
These are just a few instances. You can find many other in and around the city.
Any city is beautiful is not just due to manifest beauty in cleanliness, planned and greenery, it is because of the mindset of the people, inclusiveness in the society.
Let’s make the city BARRIER FREE!
Survey Source: The Indian Express
