Finding freedom on four wheels - Aug 18, 2019, 01.00 AM IST Printed from A year ago, Rahul Sharma fell off the terrace of his house and lost use of his legs. House-bound, the 25-year-old lab technician in Amritsar felt trapped. "As a paraplegic, I had no way of leaving the house. Spending the day watching TV and playing games was hard on me emotionally because I really wanted to work," he says. Then, eight months ago, he found a driving school that's only for people with disabilities. A natural, it took him a little over a week to learn driving. Sharma is currently putting funds together to buy a car. "I did this to regain my independence. I didn't want to rely on my family forever," he says. Rahul isn't the only one for whom learning to drive opens the door to a more independent life. In fact, a growing number of driving schools are catering specifically to people like him by providing modified cars and helping out with the driving licence process. On My Own, an Amritsar-based driving school is run by Dr Anita Sharma, a former professor at IIM-Amritsar who has polio and learnt driving because she wanted the liberation that comes with it. "The Indore campus where I did my PhD was on a hillock, and the commute was so much easier because I had a car. Otherwise, I don't know how I would have managed," says Sharma. Why the school? Sharma says initially she started giving informal driving lessons to friends and family members with disabilities. She also did some research on driving schools. "I contacted 2,000 schools across the country. They said that they hardly get any queries from people with disabilities, and if they do, they don't have modified cars," she says. Some didn't even know that people with disabilities could drive. She adds that her school is not a charity. "My customers are professors and engineers. They can pay, so why treat them like a subject of pity?" asks Sharma. Cars require certain modifications so people with physical disabilities can drive them. The technology has evolved in the past few years. Pune-based Auto-Mate specialises in an automatic clutch system. Their CEO Himanshu Chitnis says, "We set a motor under the driver's seat which operates the clutch. This is controlled by a computer. This technology while made for people with disabilities has also helped people who may have a fractured leg," he says. Chitnis's company is also responsible for all of paralympian Deepa Malik's cars. This auto-clutch system isn't cheap - it costs Rs 40,000 rupees for people with disabilities and Rs 45,000 for able-bodied people, since there are GST concessions for the former. Jaipur-based Rajesh Sharma has modified over 3,000 cars. "I was a mechanic with my own workshop when a man with a leg amputation came to me and asked if could help. I decided to try and come up with a method," he says. What he does is move the accelerator, brake, and clutch so people can operate them using their hands. "I also go to people in whatever cities they are in, and do the work," he says. The modifications tend to cost between Rs 10,000 and Rs 20,000, depending on the specifications and travel requirements. From a Nano to an Audi, he's reworked them all. Anita Sharma says that the lack of accessible public transport makes driving a more acute need for people with disabilities. "Only metros like Delhi and Bombay have accessible public transit, but that also comes with its own issues," she says. In New Delhi Railway Station, for instance, there's a very high step as you get off the train, and the alternate path is very long. She adds: "In Amritsar, you cannot use public transport at all. Some people have drivers, but most disabled people can't afford that, and many can't afford modified cars either." Harish Kumar, who runs the Ahmedabad-based driving school Ability on Wheels, was born with an absent right limb below the elbow joint. Yet, the disability didn't put the brakes on his passion for driving. He has completed two solo All India Driving Expeditions, making it to the Limca Book of Records. They also offer a wheelchair-friendly taxi service, making Ahmedabad one of only 4-5 towns in India that have such a service, according to Kumar. He says people with disabilities often get discouraged by ignorant comments like "you can't drive, so stop thinking about it". One of Kumar's students Kavita Modi says that while driving has been liberating for her, gaps in infrastructure remain a problem. "There is a total lack of parking spots for us. So, I often have to park very far away from my destination." Disability rights activist and model Virali Modi says there is also a need for things to improve at regional transport offices - a sensitive staff and amenities like an accessible toilet may get more disabled people to come for a driving licence. "While I have always been too scared to drive on the streets of Mumbai because of the lack of law and regulation, driving can boost confidence - if you can do this, you can do anything. You don't have to rely on other people for mobility," she says. Ahmedabad also boasts the People's Driving School, run by Deepak Shah. Among the hundreds who have 'graduated' from here, one is Bhavesh Shukla. "I really wanted to learn how to drive for my family. My mother passed away recently, and my father can no longer walk. They have always wanted me to be self-sufficient and have my own car," says Shukla, who has polio in his left leg. Having never sat in a car before, he learnt fast. "I parked successfully on just my second day!" Now, he revels in his independence. "I have the confidence that I can do anything an able-bodied person can. In fact, I think I may be a better driver than them."
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