I remember, few days before, some of Access Indians were deliberating on accessible Cafe's and shopping mauls. So here, this innitiative is of great significance for upcoming days in the country. To see where this article originally posted: go to http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Caf-in-Kotturpuram-has-menu-in-Braille/articleshow/12476007.cms?intenttarget=no CHENNAI: Kalakkal Cafe's menu has just about a dozen items but it's written three ways - in Braille, large block letters, and in pictures. The cafe, which will open in Kotturpuram on Saturday, will cater to disabled and non-disabled people over 18, and has ramps, eating aids and tactile walls.
The physiotherapy room at Vidya Sagar, an organisation working on disability issues, will be converted into the cafe on the second and fourth Saturdays of every month. "After work, disabled people just have to go home and watch TV. There aren't too many affordable and accessible places where youngsters can hang out with people their age," says Anu Shankar, who runs the youth programme at Vidya Sagar. "Kalakkal is probably the only inclusive cafe in India. It's an experiment in diversi-tea," she laughs. They've tied up with Winners Bakery for the food and the most expensive item is a sandwich for 25. "Disabled people spend a lot on private transport so we wanted them to be able to relax and have fun for under 50. We chose food that they can eat on their own without help from a caregiver," she says. The colours, fonts and pictures on the menu have been designed keeping in mind the needs of people with low vision or those who cannot read. Two disabled people will help serve customers. There will be a live band with local musicians and space for dancing. "Running a cafe is not our area of expertise. We're hoping this experiment will put the idea of an inclusive, affordable space into the minds of entrepreneurs who want to open restaurants," says Rajul Padmanabhan, director of Vidya Sagar. They've been putting up posters and calling friends to get the word out. For the past few days, 26-year-old Dheepakh has been going to colleges to put up posters. "It's open to all. I'm hoping everyone can hang out together," says Dheepakh, a wheelchair user who has finished college. -- "The best things and most beautiful things in the world Cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt within the heart." — Helen Keller Avinash Shahi M.A. Political Science CPS JNU New Delhi India Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/ To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
