Monday, 11 August 2008

When will this happen in INDIA?

I was away for about 2 months visiting my daughter in the USA. Though I was on a vacation I could not help but notice a few things related to my vocation. I was amazed to see the facilities and the accessibility for people with disabilities there. It was amazing to see how easily and freely a Person with Disability (PWD) moved in the society without any assistance . We visited quite a few tourist places. I observed that there were separate lines for rides in the Disneyland, Sea World etc. Every restroom had separate cubicle for the wheelchair user to go in with sidebars for support.

Every map clearly indicated what facilities they offered for PWDs. Every bus/train had reserved seats (in our country we do have reserved seating for PWD but usually they are occupied by people other than PWDs. Especially in the local trains the compartment for PWDs is full of other people under the guise of escorts).

Parking a car is a big problem in USA so PWDs have a separate and accessible parking. These spaces are also nearest to the lift. Most important thing is though parking is a huge problem in US, no one invades parking spaces meant for PWDs.

Due to all thes facilities, physical barriers are broken. And due to this accessibility, I could see many disabled people enjoying quiet evenings in the park or sharing a joke at the club.

I could not help but wonder- When will this happen in INDIA?

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