CHENNAI: Southern Railway has been directed to devise a separate mechanism to hear and take action regarding the grievances of differently-abled passengers. Aggrieved by the failure of railways in providing ‘reasonable accommodation’ to persons with disabilities (PwDs), T M N Deepak, a city-based rights activist and president of December 3 Movement, had filed a complaint with the State Commissioner for the Differently-Abled.
As per the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act (2016), reasonable accommodation refers to necessary and appropriate modification to ensure such persons can enjoy and exercise rights equally with others.
The court of State Commissioner for the Differently-Abled, which is vested with the same powers as those of a civil court, directed the railways to include PwDs as members of zonal railway users committee, divisional users committee and other consultative forums within one month of the order, for addressing their grievances. The Southern Railway was also directed to organise sensitization programmes for GRP and RPF of Tiruchy, Salem, Trivandrum and Palakkad divisions.