Respected Ms. Lovely, Thank you for taking up this issue on behalf of the community and for pushing it into the national road safety conversation. It is encouraging to see this level of intent and urgency around a subject that affects the everyday independence of millions of visually impaired people across India.
At the same time, I would like to acknowledge that requesting consolidated experiences and solutions within such a short timeframe is quite demanding for the community. Capturing and representing ground reality thoughtfully takes time, especially when the risks involved are so deeply embedded in daily life. That said, I am sharing as many points as I could recall, based on my lived experience as a blind person travelling independently in India. >From my experience, the biggest barriers are not confidence or willingness to >travel, but unsafe and exclusionary infrastructure combined with traffic >behaviour. Some of the most common risks include: • Crossing roads without audible pedestrian signals or clearly defined pedestrian phases, especially at large and complex junctions. • Silent vehicles, particularly electric two‑wheelers and cars, which are extremely difficult to detect until they are dangerously close. • High‑speed heavy vehicles such as buses, trucks, and tempo vehicles that rarely slow down at crossings. • Lack of usable footpaths, or footpaths that are broken, encroached upon by vendors and parked vehicles, or blocked by open drains. • Dug‑up roads, open manholes, and loose construction debris, which pose a serious risk of injury and make independent travel unpredictable and unsafe. • Absence of safe and accessible crossings, including foot overbridges that lack ramps, lifts, tactile guidance, or audible cues. • Stray dogs and cattle on roads and footpaths, leading to sudden obstructions and unpredictable traffic movement. • Poor civic sense and low awareness among drivers, where pedestrians—especially those with disabilities—are rarely given priority. These conditions result in frequent near‑miss situations, confusion, and anxiety, and over time discourage independent travel unless absolutely necessary. Some practical and India‑specific measures that could improve safety include: • Installing audible pedestrian signals with tactile push buttons at major crossings. • Implementing traffic‑calming measures such as speed breakers and stricter enforcement near pedestrian zones. • Mandating sound alerts for electric vehicles at low speeds. • Ensuring continuous, obstruction‑free footpaths with tactile guidance and regular maintenance. • Providing accessible at‑grade pedestrian crossings wherever possible, rather than relying solely on foot overbridges. • Running sustained public awareness campaigns for drivers on pedestrian right of way and disability inclusion. • Improving coordination during roadworks to ensure barricading, warning cues, and safe temporary pathways. Disclaimer: I have listed these points to the best of my ability and recollection, and due to the short time available, I used AI assistance to help structure and articulate this response clearly. This was the quickest way I could respond meaningfully to your message. Please feel free to remove or refine any points that may seem irrelevant or out of context. Once again, thank you for taking this forward for the community. I hope these inputs help strengthen your discussions with policymakers and contribute to more inclusive and safer road design. Warm regards, Mister Kayne Author: The Somebody, Nobody, Anybody & Everybody Blog!<https://www.mister-kayne.com/p/be-awesome-show-your-love-for-somebody.html> Mail: [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> Sent from iPhone® On 18 Mar 2026, at 4:33 PM, RSKC-Rising Star Khilte Chehre <[email protected]> wrote: Respected Members, I am Lovely Sarkar Soti, Mission Head of Rising Star Khilte Chehre. To get to the point, many people ask what the biggest barrier is in their journeys. Honestly, it isn't the travel alone—it's the road before the journey even begins. Daily risks, such as crossing roads without audible signals, dealing with silent vehicles, and unclear traffic patterns, prevent many of us from stepping out confidently. This is not an individual challenge. It is a system design gap affecting millions of visually impaired citizens across India. I am personally working to bring this issue into the national road safety conversation. For that, we need your real experiences and your ideas. If you have faced unsafe situations on roads — near-misses, confusion at crossings, lack of signals — please share a short voice note or message detailing what happened and where. Also, if you have any practical suggestions that could make roads safer (even small ones), please share those too. Your experience is not small — it is evidence. And your ideas can help build real solutions. Kindly share by this week, I have a meeting next week where I will present these cases to key persons and policymakers. You may also call or text me at 8527044355. Thanks -- Disclaimer: 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails sent through this mailing list.. Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "AccessIndia" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>. 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