It is a well drafted letter, but I would like a couple of things to be included:
1. Railway platform numbers should be marked with braile. Same thing applies to
the disabled coatches.
2. Because visually impaired persons mostly come from families that are mostly
uneducated, many of them face hardship in filling out reservation forms and
thus they are largely forced to seek stranger's assistance. Given that it is
important that railway authorities consider this as the accessibility issue and
take appropriate steps to address this issue.
Regards,
Vetri.
--------
Produced in my Nokia N82 via T-mobile internet using talks, a screen reader for
S60 phones.
-original message-
Subject: [AI] Draft petition to the railwayMinister
From: "Kotian, H P" <hpkot...@rbi.org.in>
Date: 02/10/2010 2:42 AM
Hello All
Placed below is the draft petition which we shall be sending to the railway
minister. If there is any omission pl let us know by feb 11.
Let me clarify, we have only mentioned visually disabled as we believe we
should speak for that sectorfor which we are qualified to do so. Otherwise it
would be speaking "for" them and we would be committing the same error for
which we find uncomfortable when others tend to do for us the blind.
We shall fully support the endeavor from the other segment of the disabled. We
shall also include in this petition if it comes from those persons or
representative organizations.
Pl read on
Warmly
Harish Kotian
Honorable Minister for Railways
Respected Madam
Accessibility policy in the railway budget
On behalf of the blind community and disability community at large, we request
you to include an accessibility policy while presenting the forthcoming railway
budget.
Justification: A large number of disabled passengers avail the services of the
railways and find the services to be unfriendly and not meeting the minimum
accessibility requirements under the law. This has resulted in needless
hardship and accidents which could have been easily avoided. This Grimm outlook
however, can be reversed with an effective, comprehensive accessibility policy.
Scope: It should touch all services rendered by the railways and should not
only cover the passengers but should also extend to all disabled employees. We
would like the railways to also be the largest equal opportunity employer.
Problems faced by blind passengers and solutions:
Problem: The ticket clerks often are unwilling to issue concessional tickets
despite possessing valid concession certificates.
Solution: proper awareness training be imparted and the practice of deducting
the differential amount in case of erroneous concession ticket from the salary
of the concerned clerk be done away with. Only a penalty be imposed.
Problem: Concessional tickets cannot be booked on the online portal.
Solution: e booking of concession tickets be introduced either by creating
facilities for uploading scanned copy of disability certificate and verifying
it during journey, or by requiring one-time registration of all disability
certificates in a centralized database at
the time of booking first e ticket by a disabled passenger.
Problem: Many accidents are caused by blind persons falling to the tracks from
the platform.
Solution: This can be avoided if tactile markings are made on the edges of the
platforms. Similar tactile marking should be made on the platform to guide
blind persons to lead to the exit, bridges, ticketing counters, coach for the
disabled etc. The tactile markings should also be painted with high contrast
color for low vision persons.
Problem: Accidents are also caused by blind persons slipping into the space
between compartments.
Solution: This gap should be filled up appropriately.
Problem: There is general lack of information, not only to disabled passengers
but also to all passengers about approaching station, time of arrival there etc.
Solution: There should be internal announcement announcing the direction and
the name of the approaching station.
Problem: The status of disabled or handicapped coach is far from clear. On one
hand, it is meant for disabled travelers with general tickets and on the other
hand, nowadays, reservations in Handicapped quota are being allotted in
handicapped coach. Further, there is always confusion regarding whether a
particular train does have handicapped coach and if yes, where it is exactly
located, whether in the front or at back. This requires disabled passengers to
run helter-skelter for locating it, defeating the very purpose of such a coach.
Further, more often than not, it is occupied by able bodied unauthorized
passengers and is not vestibuled rendering seeking any assistance by disabled
passengers from RPF or ticket checking staff extremely difficult.
Solution: Handicapped coach be clearly designated for travelers with
disabilities and their escorts with general ordinary tickets and reservations
in handicapped quota berths be given in the sleeper coach as was being done
earlier. This would fulfill the purpose of the handicapped coach in the true
sense of the term. All the coaches in the train and
toilets in them be made disabled friendly.
The handicapped coach be vestibuled and placed approximately in the middle of
the train, to avoid difficulties in locating it and also from safety point of
view, as assistance can be readily sought by disabled passengers in case of
unauthorized occupancy and such passengers shifted to adjacent coaches, or in
case of any emergency.
There should be a facilitation counter to help senior citizens, patients and
disabled passengers
Such an accessibility policy should invariably have definite funds allocated to
it and must have specified targets to be achieved in the year.
There should be a theme based annual accessibility audit. Its findings should
be posted at the railway's portal.
There should be a statement on accessibility in every railway budget.
Benefit: It would not only help the disabled, but would be generally useful to
all passengers. It would also be conforming to international treaties and best
practices.
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