Colaba corporator Makarand Narvekar aims to make all pavements in his area disabled-friendly within a year Adapt Rights Group (ARG) recently launched ‘Mumbai Rising for
Disability Access: We the People Too’ campaign at Azad Maidan in south
Mumbai.
The two-year campaign aims to make Mumbai friendly not just for the
physically challenged but also for pregnant women and senior citizens.
The campaign was initiated after Malini Chib, a disabled activist and author suffering from cerebral palsy fell from her wheelchair while trying to use the escalator at Westside.
Apart from Westside store, ARG has issued letters to Max Mueller Bhawan, National Gallery of Modern Art and Fabindia requesting them to make the places disabled-friendly.
As a first step towards change, ARG surveyed the area between Sasoon Docks and Afghan Church that falls under the jurisdiction of corporator Makarand Narvekar, who invited the NGO to conduct the access audit of A ward.
Many places including GPO Colaba, Dumayne Marg junction, Women’s Graduate Union Marg junction were audited by the group. “At Dumayne Marg junction, it was observed that the pavement did not have any kerb cut,” said the report.
Shabnam, who was part of the audit said, “During our walk we noticed that many shops had encroached upon the footpath. A bank had even built gates around it, on the pavement.”
“There is cemented wall around the skirting of ICICI Bank pavement which obstructs the entry of persons with disability. The A ward team made a note of this and said that they would issue a letter to the bank asking them to provide a gap for disabled customers visiting the bank. The skirting is extended upto a bus stop next to ICICI Bank, which also restricts entry of disabled commuters. A ward officials have promised to remove the skirting,” she said.
The stretch of pavement from Dumayne Marj junction to Pandey Chowk is encroached upon. There are many shops along the pavement, banks, restaurants, a sahakari bhandar, cafes and salons, all of which are inaccessible. The approach to most of these shops is challenging due to obstructions built by them, said Shabnam. There are no signages also on the stretch.
Shabnam said that the corporator has promised to free the pavements within one year, and also take the group on more such audits.
Makarand Narvekar said, “It is sad that this issue has been overlooked for years. We invited some disabled citizens along with Adapt Rights Group to survey the area.
“Our plan is to free the stretch of encroachments within one year. The funds have already been allocated for the purpose and the work will start soon after monsoon.”NGO to test UNICEF’s disability questionnaire
According to the Census Survey of India 2011, there are approximately 2 per cent disabled children in India, says Lowell D’Souza of Adapt NGO that operates out of Navy Nagar, Colaba.
D’Souza says that the results have been obtained through a yes-and-no disability questionnaire, which does not take a person’s functional disability into consideration, and hence the figures are inappropriate.
Therefore, to arrive at a correct number, Adapt Rights Group will test UNICEF’s 12-point questionnaire in India for the first time as part Shiksha Sankalp. The survey, which will start in August, will be carried out in Dharavi, and approximately 17,000 children will be a part of it.
Shiksha Sankalp is an Indo-German Project that seeks to develop a sustainable model for inclusion of Children with Disabilities (CWD) within mainstream (public) educational institutions in an urban and rural catchment area.
The 12-disability questionnaire designed by UNICEF will help the surveyors recognise each child’s functional disability. The findings of the survey will be submitted to UNICEF by 2014 following which the body will come up with a worldwide report by 2015.
Source : DNA , 1st August 2013
The campaign was initiated after Malini Chib, a disabled activist and author suffering from cerebral palsy fell from her wheelchair while trying to use the escalator at Westside.
Apart from Westside store, ARG has issued letters to Max Mueller Bhawan, National Gallery of Modern Art and Fabindia requesting them to make the places disabled-friendly.
As a first step towards change, ARG surveyed the area between Sasoon Docks and Afghan Church that falls under the jurisdiction of corporator Makarand Narvekar, who invited the NGO to conduct the access audit of A ward.
Many places including GPO Colaba, Dumayne Marg junction, Women’s Graduate Union Marg junction were audited by the group. “At Dumayne Marg junction, it was observed that the pavement did not have any kerb cut,” said the report.
Shabnam, who was part of the audit said, “During our walk we noticed that many shops had encroached upon the footpath. A bank had even built gates around it, on the pavement.”
“There is cemented wall around the skirting of ICICI Bank pavement which obstructs the entry of persons with disability. The A ward team made a note of this and said that they would issue a letter to the bank asking them to provide a gap for disabled customers visiting the bank. The skirting is extended upto a bus stop next to ICICI Bank, which also restricts entry of disabled commuters. A ward officials have promised to remove the skirting,” she said.
The stretch of pavement from Dumayne Marj junction to Pandey Chowk is encroached upon. There are many shops along the pavement, banks, restaurants, a sahakari bhandar, cafes and salons, all of which are inaccessible. The approach to most of these shops is challenging due to obstructions built by them, said Shabnam. There are no signages also on the stretch.
Shabnam said that the corporator has promised to free the pavements within one year, and also take the group on more such audits.
Makarand Narvekar said, “It is sad that this issue has been overlooked for years. We invited some disabled citizens along with Adapt Rights Group to survey the area.
“Our plan is to free the stretch of encroachments within one year. The funds have already been allocated for the purpose and the work will start soon after monsoon.”NGO to test UNICEF’s disability questionnaire
According to the Census Survey of India 2011, there are approximately 2 per cent disabled children in India, says Lowell D’Souza of Adapt NGO that operates out of Navy Nagar, Colaba.
D’Souza says that the results have been obtained through a yes-and-no disability questionnaire, which does not take a person’s functional disability into consideration, and hence the figures are inappropriate.
Therefore, to arrive at a correct number, Adapt Rights Group will test UNICEF’s 12-point questionnaire in India for the first time as part Shiksha Sankalp. The survey, which will start in August, will be carried out in Dharavi, and approximately 17,000 children will be a part of it.
Shiksha Sankalp is an Indo-German Project that seeks to develop a sustainable model for inclusion of Children with Disabilities (CWD) within mainstream (public) educational institutions in an urban and rural catchment area.
The 12-disability questionnaire designed by UNICEF will help the surveyors recognise each child’s functional disability. The findings of the survey will be submitted to UNICEF by 2014 following which the body will come up with a worldwide report by 2015.
Source : DNA , 1st August 2013
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