LETS MAKE AHMEDABAD A DREAM PLACE

BY KNOCKING OUT THE BARRIERS

By Shirley V  Samtani

While entering any building, has it ever occurred to you that those steps / staircase, which you take for granted, could be a barrier for someone else?  That ‘someone else’ could be a person with disability, a senior citizen with reduced abilities like failing eyesight or health, a person  who is recuperating from an ailment or has suffered fractures, a pregnant women, one with heavy baggage, one with small kids, a person suffering from arthritis, asthma or cardiovascular problems, etc.  Taken together, all these citizens form a significant percentage of the population. 

All these categories of persons face unintentional exclusion from public facilities and built environments.  They have to confront barriers in approaching, entering and or using buildings, transports, roads, gardens, etc.  Barriers make an environment unsafe and cause a high degree of discomfort to the user.  But, more importantly, cause places to be out of reach, thus denying people the opportunity to participate in various spheres of life.  This loss of opportunity is not only a loss for the concerned citizen, but also a society’s loss, which misses out on their contribution.   Further, it is the constitutional right of every citizen to have access to every public place and building, irrespective of his/her physical condition.  Not making public places and buildings barrier free would amount to an infringement on their rights as citizens of this country. 

In most western countries, barrier free environments have been successfully created with Governments at the helm of affairs.  Let us examine the position in India.  When the Indian Constitution was framed in 1950, the persons with disabilities were mentioned in Article 41, which talks about the welfare of unemployable categories such as elderly, sick and disabled. This indicates that about 50 years ago, the disabled were perceived as unproductive and unemployable. If one has to traverse through the length and breadth of India, one could easily conclude that Indian roads, public facilities, transport systems, business centres, etc. are designed in a manner that cannot be easily accessed by elderly, infirm and the disabled. Undoubtedly, such an infrastructure explains the reason for an indifferent attitude towards those who are presumed to be unproductive.       

Independent India gradually realized that its disabled citizens too have the potential of nation building process. Therefore, a need for creating an environment for full participation of persons with disabilities gave way to formation of policies and programmes that were vital to persons with disabilities’ participation in the mainstream of economic, political and socio-cultural life.  Culmination of this was seen in the enactment of Persons with Disability (Equal Opportunity, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995.  This Act guarantees equality and protection from all forms of discrimination. In order to remove physical barriers, the Disability Act contains several provisions that can be seen in the Chapters entitled Education, Employment, Manpower Development, Non Discrimination, etc.

It is quite another thing that despite several specific provisions that caste obligations on Central, State and local Governments for creation of a barrier free environment, little evidence of compliance is visible.  The reason for this inaction is clear, when one carefully reads the provisions of the Act.   Sections 44 to 46 of the Act direct ‘Establishments in the transport sector’ and ‘The appropriate Governments and Local Authorities’ to take certain special measures to make the environment for the disabled “within the limits of their economic capacity”          

The clause “within the limits of their economic capacity” in itself proves to be such a big loophole, that it negates the effect of the provisions of the Act.  It is advisable that while framing Acts, Laws, etc, utmost care should be taken to ensure that there is no loophole in the Act itself.

In the present case, although Ministers and Government officials may be spending millions of rupees on foreign tours and their telephone bills may be running into lacs of rupees, they may show deficits in their budgets, thereby expressing their inability to take special measures “within the limits of their economic capacity”.

However, the situation is not entirely dismal.  There is hope in the form of NGOs and responsible corporate bodies.  Samarthya (‘Capability’) is a Delhi-based centre for the promotion of a barrier-free environment for disabled persons.  It has been responsible for making the Dilli Haat the first barrier-free tourist spot in India.           

In the city of Ahmedabad also, often, we observe a person with a white cane tapping his way across the road.  Or a disabled person in a tricycle painstakingly weaving his way through the traffic.  These are telling sights.  Ever wondered how the disabled get around the city and assess public places like schools, colleges, government offices, etc?  If one cannot reach his classroom or office, making 3% reservation in educational institutions and government jobs appears to be a cruel mockery of these helpless human beings.    

 In Ahmedabad, there are very few buildings and spaces that are reasonably barrier free but it is a matter of great regret that most of the buildings in our city are not accessible to a physically challenged persons  All the low-rise flats constructed prior to 1995, are without elevators, hence not accessible to the disabled.   Most transportation today is virtually inaccessible.        

In the city of Ahmedabad there is not  a single  building or place which has all the features.  In our city we have few disabled friendly features such as the ramps at Ahmedabad Management Association (AMA) and gradual slope at Fun Republic & Ellisbridge Gym,khana.  A survey was conducted by an Access Resource Group in 2003, consisting of architects, NGOs and people with disabilities and they visited a few places in the City – Eklavya School, SPIPA building ICICI Bank, Planet Health, Law Garden and the Disability Commissioner’s Office, and changes, modifications and adaptations were suggested.                

Various important measures to create barrier free spaces are enumerated as follows:

  • Make ramps for easy and safe entry to buildings and spaces 
  • Use handrails at two levels, alongside stairs/ramps and use grab rails in lifts/elevators  
  • Make doorways wide enough for easy entry for wheelchair users
  • Use lever type handles on doors instead of smooth and round knobs
  • Use textured or soft flooring materials and avoid slippery surfaces        
  • Use contrast color markings on floors at places where direction and surface levels change, to aid people with low vision
  • Make counters at reachable heights
  • Use wide doorways and grab bars in toilets
  • Use a mirror on the wall opposite the lift door to enable people on wheelchair to view the floor numbers 
  • Use auditory signals in lifts and buildings for the visually impaired
  • Use clear signboards in public places for orientation and easy identification of services 
  • Use auditory signals at traffic crossroads to enable visually impaired people and the elderly to cross the roads. 

According  to the census made in the year 2001, out of 3 crore disabled people, 30 lakhs people reside in Gujarat and out of those 30 lakhs, 12 lakh disabled persons live in our Ahmedabad, whose mobility and access are adversely affected and 12 lakh citizens of the prestigious mega-city of Ahmedabad are deprived of their constitutional right of equality envisaged under Article 14 and 16 of the Constitution of India.  Further, disabled persons are denied of their rights of equal opportunities and full participation guaranteed by the Persons With Disabilities Act, 1995.  

In the West, accessibility for the disabled is a big issue.  The level of sensitivity towards the disabled is self evident in the West and disabled are as much respectable part of society as anyone else.  This positive attitude reflects into barrier free environment.  In our country and particularly in Ahmedbad, it is only in the last decade that the issue of making public places and transport accessible to the disabled has gained attention.  There have been some positive moves such as a Barrier Free Walk arranged at Law Garden, to create public awareness.  .  But still, a lot of ground is to be covered in order to reach the desired milestone. 

If this state of affairs exists even after almost 6 decades of independence, it is certainly high time for every vigilant and  sensible citizen of Ahmedabad to develop a consciousness for barrier free environment and to pressurize the government and local authorities which are capable to make Ahmedabad totally accessible for each and every citizen.  The corporate world should also take up the challenge to make their business houses free of any barriers for the disabled, which will ultimately translate into their  own gains.            

Lastly, I make a humble appeal in the interest of humanity to remember the famous quote of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, the pioneer of our constitution that “Those who have  less in life, must get more in law”.    So please engrave in your heart that, “Equal access with dignity is a matter of right and not something to be sympathized with.”