July 29, 2019
Our guest columnist this week is Sminu Jindal. As Founder-Chairperson
of Svayam, an organisation dedicated to building an India accessible to every
one.
India’s historical monuments hold significance at global level and are
appreciated for its cultural richness and beauty, with over seven million
tourists visiting India annually.
One of the largest tourism markets in South Asia, India’s tourism revenue
in 2018 was USD247.3 billion, with a growth rate of 6.7%. Still, there are so
many people who are unable to come to India as many of our historical sites
continue to have accessibility challenges. One can imagine how important and
indispensable accessibility in tourism is for India.
Accessible tourism allows all tourists to enjoy their right to visit the
monumental wonders that India has to offer.
As per Census 2011, India’s disabled population stands at 2.68 crore and
elders were 10.38 crore. If we add the population of people with reduced
mobility such as pregnant women, sick and individuals with temporary and
partial disabilities, the numbers will be substantial. So you can see that a
large section of people face challenges while accessing historical sites,
while the Indian law requires that all public buildings and places must be
accessible to all people including seniors and those with disabilities.
India, being a tourist hub having multitude of cultural and heritage
monuments, can present an example to the rest of the world if our heritage
sites as well as public infrastructure and transportation systems are made
accessible. Tourists tend to visit other places apart from monuments when
they land in a city. Accessibility allows for a joyful experience for both
international and domestic tourists.
The question about why accessibility in heritage sites and monuments is
important can only be answered with the most basic and universal fact that
‘to travel with dignity and comfort is a right that every individual should
enjoy equally’. Indian heritage sites and monuments are a reflection of our
rich cultural, historic and architectural knowledge which has a lot to
offer to the world. This means that no matter how different the challenges
may be for individuals to reach and visit these heritage places, the
solutions in terms of transportation, the physical infrastructure and
public services and facilities at the heritage sites should all be
inclusive in nature.
or accessible solutions mean that no one misses out on any opportunity to
enjoy their travel experiences. One of the preferred ways to make our
heritage sites accessible is to involve user groups and
stakeholders while planning and designing facilities. This also provides an
opportunity for the conservationists to share with the user groups the
limitations of the site due to its cultural and heritage value. This is
important since making a building accessible is completely different from
incorporating accessibility improvements in a heritage site or building of
historical value. We have to work with the challenges of not interfering with
the original architecture and aesthetics of the historical place while still
meeting the needs of diversity of visitors.
Accessibility is not limited to just the physical
infrastructure, it extends to services, technologies employed therein, the
website, applications, and print material such as tickets, information
brochures, interpretation centres, signage etc.
I believe the tag of an ‘Accessible Heritage Site’ can make it more
popular and help it attract more footprints than those which are not
accessible. Today, Qutub Minar is more popular among
tourists as it was made accessible way back in 2008 by
Svayam in collaboration with the . It was the first
World Heritage Site to become so, and once it became accessible,
it started getting more footfalls than earlier. Svayam’s partnership with
the ASI resulted in to making several other world heritage sites such as the
Taj Mahal, Lal Quila, Fatehpur
Sikri Group of Monuments, Ajanta and Ellora Caves
also accessible to diverse group of users.
Accessibility also brings added benefits such as good signage and dedicated
access route and ramps. These reinforce the discipline of moving in a queue
while also making the site safer for all. Therefore, in order to make our
heritage, religious and cultural monuments accessible, we must realise that
it is a journey where all of us must make our contributions; it will help
ensure an accessible nation for our own future, and for generations to come.
We as a society can achieve our fullest potential only when we ensure
guarantee of access to our historical and cultural monuments and spaces for
all. Solidarity for accessibility in tourism is the way
forward.
