Physically disabled people in the city cannot access pavements and public toilets because they are not disabled-friendly.
Physically disabled people face accessibility problems because of the infrastructure in Bangalore. Disabled people are unable to use the pavements, public toilets, public transport; they are asking for disabled-friendly infrastructure in the city.
Irappa Kumbar, a physically disabled said, “I visit Hesaraghatta Gram Panchayat very often, but it is not easily accessible for physically disabled people.” The Gram Panchayat does not have any ramp that can be used by physically disabled, he said.
Gangaraja, a wheelchair user said that he faces difficulties whenever he travels in the BMTC buses. “I always ask people in the bus to help me get in the bus,” he said. He also said that there is no ramp or elevator for physically disabled people in the regional Bruhat Bengaluru MahanagaraPalike (BBMP) office. “Sometimes the BMTC bus drivers won’t stop if there is a physically disabled person because they think that we will take much time to get into the bus,” he said.
Siddha Raju who uses crutches to walk said that he avoids using the public buses because the space is very narrow and he feels uncomfortable when using the seats reserved for disabled. He added that four years ago, he stumbled while using staircase in the government office. “After that incident, I stopped going to the places that don’t have ramps or elevator for physically disabled,” he said.
Rights of Persons with Disability Act, 2016 says that all the buildings run by both government and private have to be made accessible for person with disabilities.
The physically disabled people also complain about pavements. The broken pavements, some electric poles and parking on pavements are barriers for disabled to use the pavements.
Sumitha, a wheelchair user said that if the pavement was broken or uneven, she was forced on to the road which is very dangerous. She said, “The drinking water facilities in public places are also not designed for disabled people; wheelchair users cannot access taps that are placed high.”
An Executive Engineer from Road Infrastructure Department in BBMP admitted that there are some broken pavements in the city. “If the people who use the pavements register complaints, we will make sure to repair the pavements,” he said.
Arun Kumar from Voice of Needy Foundation, a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO)for physically disabled said that the government has to ensure whether people are able to access all the places as per the law. He added that some foreign countries have good disabled-friendly infrastructure, the government can follow those methods to improve the infrastructure for the disabled people.
