THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Rajan R, a visually challenged man, lay dead in a pool of blood after he was hit by an autorickshaw at Vettikavala in Kollam on Thursday, observed as the International White Cane Safety Day. He was walking with the help of a white cane to sell lotteries when the mishap occurred. The White Cane Safety Day is observed to recognise that white canes enable blind people to travel safely and independently. Presence of a person carrying a white cane could give an instant signal to those around to be considerate. But the experience of the visually challenged are different.
“No motorist will stop their vehicle upon seeing a blind person crossing the road,” said secretary of Kerala Federation of the Blind (KFB) Sajeevan C. “Instead, people will either try to dodge around us or startle us by honking. Our society is not aware enough of the consideration they should give to persons with disabilities.”
According to him, the blind frequently encounter accidents due to rash driving and unscientific placement of hoardings. The visually challenged overcome difficulties of visual perception by using touch and feel. Hence the design of roads and buildings also has a major role in navigation. “It is difficult to find a zebra crossing though the laws on disabilities say that engraved tiles should be laid on the road to identify zebra crossings,” he said.
Similarly, the edges of footpaths should have such tiles to enable the touch perception. The presence of sign boards kept without much thought on the footpath also results in accidents. Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act (2016) came into force with a mandate to make public places and buildings disabled-friendly in five years. However, the KFB found that not much attention has been given to the design. But there are exceptions, of course. “The Kochi Metro is a fine example of disabled-friendly design. But many government buildings do not even have ramps. Some are unscientifically constructed for the sake of complying with the law,” said Sajeevan.