Make Indian Railways Barrier Free [Online petition]

Make Indian Railways Barrier Free

Petition by Shishu Sarothi

India doesn't lack the money, the knowledge, the infrastructure or the power. What it lacks is a VISION. A vision to see that everyone enjoys the RIGHT TO EQUALITY and the most basic right - RIGHT TO LIFE with DIGNITY. Though it is written in our Constitution, it is not engraved in our minds. What our mind speaks is the language of power and the language of 'ignorance is bliss’. Is Disability really an impairment of the body or the impairment of the society to be inclusive of them?

This is the question that 15 physically challenged children from Guwahati had to face when they reached Guwahati Railway Station on 18th November, 2012. They had been invited to perform a play – Buddhuram– at the Jashne Bachpan Festival, 2012 organised by the National School of Drama in New Delhi on 20th November, 2012. Part of the troupe, with sparkles in their eyes and an excitement to showcase their ‘ability’ in the midst of mindless thoughts of disability, reached the station only to have let down that enthusiasm. Guwahati Railway Station (classified as Grade A) did not have the basic facilities to meet the needs of these 15 children who had a tough time reaching, boarding and travelling in Sampark Kranti Express to Delhi.

Shishu Sarothi, a city-based centre for rehabilitation and training for multiple disability, who accompanied the children found that the station was not disabled friendly with no lift or ramp and the train parked at the furthest possible platform. They were taken through the route which is used to tow hand carts with luggage to be loaded onto the trains through unmanned tracks. Even after reaching the platform, the questions kept coming – how does one get into the train? Where can they comfortably keep their wheelchairs? How do they use the bathroom which many of us don’t even dare to open? All this is not only inaccessible but unsafe for them in many ways.

This is not just the story of one group of differently abled individuals or one railway station. It is the same story across the country. While the world is advancing at a fast pace, we urge the government to not slow-down in making every place ACCESSIBLE and DISABLED FRIENDLY. The Railway Ministry ought to take steps at the earliest to make railways disabled friendly and to provide infrastructure so that the differently abled can travel with comfort. It’s high time that ‘Inclusive’ is the word to be used in our vocabulary very often!

Read the full petition here.

Online petition on truly inclusive society

To,
Dr Manmohan Singh
Hon’ble Prime Minister of India

Sub:   Accessible and barrier free society can only be a truly inclusive society  

 
Dear Sir,

In the wake of India ratifying the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) in 2007, it has become incumbent on India’s part, under the established and recognized international human right norms, to harmonise all its relevant domestic laws and policies with this international treaty. Persons with disabilities still continue to encounter umpteen barriers on road, in built environment, and in transport (physical), attitudinal (societal) and inaccess to information and technologies (E-inaccessibility). You may kindly appreciate that although well over 16 years have elapsed since the PwD Act came into force, the status of implementation of this Act across the nation causes acute concern. Accessibility and inclusion of PwD are fundamental rights recognized by the CRPD and are not only objectives, but also pre-requisites for the enjoyment of other rights.

This year the theme for International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPwD) is ‘Removing barriers to create an inclusive and accessible society for all.” To commemorate the United Nation’s observance day we want that people with disability are seen as citizens first and then as consumers of healthcare, rehabilitation or social services. As citizens in democratic society they should have the same right to participate, access to the same range of options, degree of freedom, control and self-determination in everyday life. These demands require the removal of infrastructural, institutional and attitudinal barriers and the adoption of the Universal Design principle. We demand the same choices and control in our every-day lives that every other person has. We want to grow up in our families, go to schools, use the same public transport, and work in jobs according to our education, talent and expertise and raise families of our own. We want to be regarded as ordinary people sharing the same need to feel included, recognized and loved. We need to organize and work for political changes that would lead to legal protection of our human and civil rights.

In the facts and circumstances stated above, you are requested in right earnest to ensure concrete and time-bound steps to enforce accessibility standards and guidelines with utmost strictness. Access audit for the said purpose should be carried out by both subject experts and experiential experts where latter means the persons with disabilities. All Government websites should be made accessible by complying with the latest web Content Accessibility Guidelines. All the States and UTs of India must have a progressive and forward looking policy on persons with disabilities which is compatible with the UNCRPD. It goes without saying that a person with disability has to incur additional expenditure due to, or arising out of his disability. They should be granted be granted exemption to the tune of 50% in the total annual income tax liability in place of existing benefit on taxable income as envisaged in Section 80(U) of the Income Tax Act. Disability studies should be made mandatory part of the curriculum and all higher institutions must have Enabling Units for students with disabilities. We also demand a separate department for disability issues with persons with disabilities being equal partners in all decisions.

We, the citizens of India, earnestly request your expeditious action in respect of the matter, more particularly, in the face of the fact that the Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995 have been enforced for well over 16 years now. We look forward to your intervention this IDPwD.

To sign Dr Satendra Singh's petition visit: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/aagaaz/