March 20, 2019
Elliot’s Beach in Chennai is a popular go to for city residents. Its food
stalls and the balmy breeze attracts visitors by the thousands everyday. Now,
wheelchair users and people with crutches can enjoy the ambience as well.
On 3 December, well known as International Disability
Day, the Chennai Municipal Corporation had provided a temporary
pathway for disabled people. This will now become a permanent feature.
Clearance has been given by the Tamil Nadu Coastal Zone Management
Authority (TNCZMA).
Satish Kumar, an alumnus of the Vidya Sagar disability
school was co-ordinating the construction of the pathway.
The temporary one was built for two days and was a successful venture. In
fact, many wheelchair and crutch users visited it. But they need something
like this permanently and not just for a couple of days. It is high time
that the government takes initiatives to make all places accessible. –
Satish Kumar, Alumnus, Vidya Sagar School
The wooden pathway will be constructed behind the Ashtalakshmi
temple and will go up to the beach. It will be 34 metres long and 3
metres wide with strong wooden sleepers in its base. Anti-slip rubber mats
will be put so that the pathway will not be slippery.
Some things are yet to be worked out. Like the location of the pathway which
at present is far from the actual beach. Considering this is a venture for
disabled people, they will be unable to go till the beach. Moreover, this
project is going to be only for wheelchair and crutch users. For people with
other disabilities, the beach still remains inaccessible.
Disability rights activists have been asking for the beaches to be made
accessible for a while now. Even Marina, the world’s second largest beach,
is inaccessible.
JD Madan, a member of Disability Rights Alliance
India (DRAI) says more needs to be done, and fast.
“The initiative is good. But there are many factors that need to be looked
into it like how well it is going to be constructed or how well it will be
maintained by authorities. There is no point travelling in a bus where seats
are uncomfortable! More disabled people can now come out of their homes and
witness beaches”, says Madan.
Source: https://newzhook.com/story/21725
