CHENNAI: Persons with disabilities in the city might not have to wait for World Disability Day to enjoy the waters along the city’s two main beaches — Marina and Elliot’s. The Chennai Corporation is planning to build a permanent ramp, allowing PwD access to the sea. The proposal to improve accessibility has been in the pipeline for a year now. It has gained traction now with the Board of Directors of Chennai Smart City clearing the proposal to engage a consultant to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) to make the beaches accessible.
“It has also been clearly stated that the design and material used for the construction should be environment-friendly while also being compliant with Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) regulations,” a Corporation official said. Taking a cue from practices followed in Miami beach in the United States, the city corporation looks to make use of wooden platforms and rolling mats to improve accessibility at the Marina and Besant Nagar beaches.
The Miami beach boasts a boardwalk that is wheelchair accessible for a sixkilometre stretch, and also offers access to beach wheelchairs. “While concrete structures may account for violation of CRZ regulations, the alternate material that can be used is wood or a combination material,” said Smitha Sadasivan, member, Disability Rights Alliance, which is an open coalition of independent, community-based representatives advocating with and for people with any disability. The civic body has set aside `3 lakh to be financed under the Chennai Smart City Fund for the engagement of the consultant to prepare a Detailed Project Report.
The Greater Chennai Corporation, which is the implementing agency, will take up the process of selection of the consultant. Last year, the Chennai Corporation along with Vidya Sagar, an organisation that works with PwDs, set up a temporary accessible pathway across the Marina beach, to mark World Disability Day. Around 250 students and alumni of Vidya Sagar centre for special education and students from other special schools, lined up at the beach for a chance to play in the water. Activists had sought a permanent solution instead of making this visit to the beach a luxury activity reserved once a year.
The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 apart from focusing on healthcare measures, insurance schemes, and rehabilitation programmes for the PwD, also states “Cultural life, recreation, and sporting activities are also to be taken care of.”