CHENNAI: Chennai is far behind in accessibility race, finds a report by the Citizen Consumer and Civic Action Group (CAG), titled, ‘Moving Without Barriers: Documenting Mobility Barriers Encountered by People with Disabilities in Chennai’, released on Thursday.
Prepared after a year-long study involving surveys, focus group discussions and secondary research with 270 participants, the report documents accessibility challenges faced by the disabled and senior citizens across the city.
Claiming that many accessibility ramps in the city are unsafe, Dr Anusuya, a wheelchair user and special educator said, “Many bus conductors are not trained to use ramps properly, and sometimes buses don’t even stop at the right place.”
She alleged she is mistreated by bus staff. “They do not want to help wheelchair users get on to the bus. Even fellow passengers treat us badly,” she added in her account that features in the report.
The report found that while 66% of respondents live within 1 km of public transportation means, poor pedestrian infrastructure limits their ability to actually reach them.
On buses and trains, which remain the primary modes of travel for most respondents, high steps, platform gaps, missing ramps and the absence of audio-visual announcements continue to limit independent travel.
Chennai Metro fared better, and has been praised for its accessible design and trained staff though respondents still found slippery flooring, locked toilets, inconsistent signage and the lack of fare concessions for disabled people.
The report recommended the use of inclusive technologies including accessible information systems, navigation tools and app-based services to close these gaps.
