A Dream Travel
I had always been fond of traveling, though I never got a chance to stand on my feet & savor it. Yet, the spirits were high as I was born in an economically sound family in India. To quench my thirst for traveling and visiting places on my own, I finally made up my mind to pay a hefty sum and get my dream electric wheelchair (unfortunately I couldn't arrange funds for an Ibot stair climber).
The day I got my wheelie (that’s my wheelchair) I felt no less than a Queen who had recently conquered her enemy! Soon I planned a trip to a holiday destination which I couldn't think of before due to my disability. I was thrilled with high hopes of touching every corner with my wheelie. I dreamt of reaching the unimaginable heights.
My journey to Udaipur, the lake city of Rajasthan, finally started. I never knew that the journey to the reality was also initiating at the same time. The first realization struck me when I went to the railway station to get on my train. Woops....the station was well blocked by uncountable staircases for my wheelie to get on to the platform. The thrill inside me felt a cold wave. Condemning every negative thought, I dared to make my way on to the platform just to realize that the doors of the train's compartment were a little narrow and could not accommodate my wheelie. Finding no rescue I left the station to make out another way to reach Udaipur. After putting in all the efforts, the result denied availability of any possible public transport which could comfortably accommodate wheelie & me together. So I finally decided to lighter my pocket by a few more bucks & hire a private van. I asked the driver for a ramp. Giving me a surprised look he bounced a question towards me “What’s a RAMP mam???".
Phewww.....this was enough to drain all my excitement and desire to see an unknown place. I very well realized that India is not a country where disable people can live and enjoy an accessible & quality life on an electric wheelchair. They can only enjoy mobility if they are ready to drag & climb up stairs, trains, buses, educational institutes and all sort of residential & commercial buildings. There is hardly any place open for an economically restrained disabled in the so called most progressive country "INDIA" I finally gave up my ambition to live an entirely independent life and decided to wait until India becomes Progressive for disable people too.
posted by Puja @ 4:39 AM
8 Comments:
Thanks for your honest remark. Lets hope for the day when a wheelchair ride in India will really be a bliss & then I perhaps would make the most perfect blog entry !!
Dear Puja and Nimmy,
I agree that conditions in India are not very friendly to the wheelchair users. But we are trying for it constantly chasing the authorities, departments and assisting them with technical inputs.
We are an NGO working on improving accessibility for people with reduced mobility in India. We have had good beginings in India and have high hopes. you may like to know more about us by visiting www.svayam.com
with regards,
SC Vashishth, New Delhi, India
subhashvashishth@gmail.com
Hi guys,
What Puja shared about lack of access for disabled people in India is really so true. I live in Chennai and get around on crutches and wear a brace on one leg, following an attack of polio as a kid. I really take my hats off to Puja for even thinking of venturing out on a vacation using her "wheelie". Tho' I don't use my manual wheelchair outdoors, I have almost given up going to unfamiliar places, because of the lack of convenient access. Can you imagine my frustration when I paid a visit to my very accessible hair cutting parlour only to find it totally inaccessible, because of a 1 foot high pavement that had suddenly sprung up in front of the place?? The so called sloped curbs are not virtually non-existant. Like Subhash rightly said we need to be untiring in our efforts to make city planners think of us too.
yes..it feel depressed and devasted..but i will travel india..i know all the hurdles obstacles..i will rent a wheelchair accessiable van..and there are many good travel agents who plan everthing for us. looking every nook of where we are accessiable..as per indian govt, 3 star hotels shud be chair accessiable..and if u dont want to stay in star hotel, u can enquire ethg with ur travel agent..it would be tough traveeling whole journey in car but i hv heard that travel agencies have wheelchair accessaible car..v got to find ethg.dont wori..we will ..be in touch with me..i will be posting soon.
Frankly i am not moved by ur nightmare travel experience puja. It may sound strange but i feel so because this has become our national habbit of critsizing the existing incompetent system despite new avenues for redressal are being formed / intiated which perhaps either we are not aware of or we dont want to indulge in, considering it as a time consuming activity. You felt this thing because it is required for u and many others like u, whom i prefer to say as differently abled. There is no cleanliness on platforms, proper drinking water is not available, no proper facilties are there for senior citizens at railways stations and many other deficient facilities / systems. You have just pointed out one of them. What i suggest to u is that you should ask the information from Indian Railways under Right to Information Act on faclities provided at present / being provided for differently abled persons by the Railways at railway platforms and also in trains and if not what is the action plan in this regard. This RTI Application will have to be replied by concerned authorites and they will have to consider some action plan in this regard if not already considered by them . Your these efforts will not go waste and will surely bring some positive change in the system. Lets us do our best to improve the system with whatever resourses we have and best resourse is nothing but your "PEN"
Hi, In continuation to what Sumit said, I know for certain that most of the authorities in India especially in the aviation sector and railways have been pushed by the disability activism that atleast right policies are in place now. Railways have started implementing the access provisions such as to provide ramp facilities, accessible drinking water fountains, lowered counter facilities etc to name a few. Many stations like Nagpur, Gwalior etc have long ramps installed to provide interconnectivity between various platforms safely on a wheeelchair. Though the boggies are still not wide and level enough for a wheelchair to go in.
Recently, Director General Civil Aviation has publihsed Civil Aviation Requirements on the Carriage of disabled people by Air. These guidelines would govern all airlines and aerodrome operators to provide accessible facilities for disabled people. Visit my blog http://dignifiedflyingfordisabled.blogspot.com/2008/05/another-blatant-disregard-to-dgcas-car.html
In Delhi atleast Qutub Minar, the most visited site after Tajmahal, can now be visited on wheelchairs with great ease after the installation of 4 ramps in the premises. Now there is an accessible parking lot with accessible toilet & lowered ticket window, cloak room outside. There is a tactile pathway from the parking to the main entrance of the Qutub. Svayam has been working on it for quite some time now.
So Puja, you can hope for better things in near future.
regards
Subhash Chandra Vashishth
who cares the waves of dust, u just focus on living your dreams :)
And yes!! if u need funky art work on your "wheelie" just place the order..haha, I would love to make it in rodie style.
I agree and hats off for your courage
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