Hi A few more suggestions:
1. I have a railway concession certificate. And my disability certificate says that I'm 100% blind. But I still have a little vision. So, when I go to book a ticket, they are acting as if I have brought this concession certificate illegally. So, the railway clerks should be sensitised in a way that they understand that there are some persons who are visually impaired despite having little vision. And currently, railway concession is given only to persons who are 100% blind. I think it should be given to all severely disabled, i.e., those who have more than 80% disability. 2. Like others said, the concession should be given on the basis of the disability certificate and there is no need of a separate railway concession certificate. If one such is compulsory, it should be issued in the form of a card instead of a certificate. 3. On line booking, is most needed. Shall come up with some more before tomorrow. -- G. Vamshi PH Res : +91 877-2243861 Mobile: +91 9949349497 E-mail ID: gvamsh...@gmail.com Skype: gvamshi81 God helps those who help themselves On 2/10/10, Kotian, H P <hpkot...@rbi.org.in> wrote: > > 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. > > > ________________________________ > Notice: This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and > intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are > addressed. If you are not the intended recipient, any dissemination, use, > review, distribution, printing or copying of the information contained in > this e-mail message and/or attachments to it are strictly prohibited. If you > have received this email by error, please notify us by return e-mail or > telephone and immediately and permanently delete the message and any > attachments. The recipient should check this email and any attachments for > the presence of viruses. 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