Hello Sir,
Thanks for the initiative.
I have few suggestions to add.
1. 3% births in all classes in all trains should be reserved to physically
challenged persons with 25% fair.
2. Disabled compartment should be a general compartment for physically
challenged only. No birth should be reserved to physically challenged in
the disabled compartment.
3. The railway department should issue a permanent identity card with a
unique ID number basing on medical board certificate for off line and online
reservation.
With thanks and regards,
Janardhana Naidu.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Kotian, H P" <hpkot...@rbi.org.in>
To: <accessindia@accessindia.org.in>
Sent: Wednesday, February 10, 2010 1:02 PM
Subject: [AI] Draft petition to the railwayMinister
Hello All
Placed below is the draft petition which we shall be sending to the
railway minister. If there is any omission pl let us know by feb 11.
Let me clarify, we have only mentioned visually disabled as we believe we
should speak for that sectorfor which we are qualified to do so. Otherwise
it would be speaking "for" them and we would be committing the same error
for which we find uncomfortable when others tend to do for us the blind.
We shall fully support the endeavor from the other segment of the
disabled. We shall also include in this petition if it comes from those
persons or representative organizations.
Pl read on
Warmly
Harish Kotian
Honorable Minister for Railways
Respected Madam
Accessibility policy in the railway budget
On behalf of the blind community and disability community at large, we
request you to include an accessibility policy while presenting the
forthcoming railway budget.
Justification: A large number of disabled passengers avail the services
of the railways and find the services to be unfriendly and not meeting the
minimum accessibility requirements under the law. This has resulted in
needless hardship and accidents which could have been easily avoided. This
Grimm outlook however, can be reversed with an effective, comprehensive
accessibility policy.
Scope: It should touch all services rendered by the railways and should
not only cover the passengers but should also extend to all disabled
employees. We would like the railways to also be the largest equal
opportunity employer.
Problems faced by blind passengers and solutions:
Problem: The ticket clerks often are unwilling to issue concessional
tickets despite possessing valid concession certificates.
Solution: proper awareness training be imparted and the practice of
deducting the differential amount in case of erroneous concession ticket
from the salary of the concerned clerk be done away with. Only a penalty
be imposed.
Problem: Concessional tickets cannot be booked on the online portal.
Solution: e booking of concession tickets be introduced either by creating
facilities for uploading scanned copy of disability certificate and
verifying it during journey, or by requiring one-time registration of all
disability certificates in a centralized database at
the time of booking first e ticket by a disabled passenger.
Problem: Many accidents are caused by blind persons falling to the tracks
from the platform.
Solution: This can be avoided if tactile markings are made on the edges of
the platforms. Similar tactile marking should be made on the platform to
guide blind persons to lead to the exit, bridges, ticketing counters,
coach for the disabled etc. The tactile markings should also be painted
with high contrast color for low vision persons.
Problem: Accidents are also caused by blind persons slipping into the
space between compartments.
Solution: This gap should be filled up appropriately.
Problem: There is general lack of information, not only to disabled
passengers but also to all passengers about approaching station, time of
arrival there etc.
Solution: There should be internal announcement announcing the direction
and the name of the approaching station.
Problem: The status of disabled or handicapped coach is far from clear. On
one hand, it is meant for disabled travelers with general tickets and on
the other hand, nowadays, reservations in Handicapped quota are being
allotted in handicapped coach. Further, there is always confusion
regarding whether a particular train does have handicapped coach and if
yes, where it is exactly located, whether in the front or at back. This
requires disabled passengers to run helter-skelter for locating it,
defeating the very purpose of such a coach. Further, more often than not,
it is occupied by able bodied unauthorized passengers and is not
vestibuled rendering seeking any assistance by disabled passengers from
RPF or ticket checking staff extremely difficult.
Solution: Handicapped coach be clearly designated for travelers with
disabilities and their escorts with general ordinary tickets and
reservations in handicapped quota berths be given in the sleeper coach as
was being done earlier. This would fulfill the purpose of the handicapped
coach in the true sense of the term. All the coaches in the train and
toilets in them be made disabled friendly.
The handicapped coach be vestibuled and placed approximately in the middle
of the train, to avoid difficulties in locating it and also from safety
point of view, as assistance can be readily sought by disabled passengers
in case of unauthorized occupancy and such passengers shifted to adjacent
coaches, or in case of any emergency.
There should be a facilitation counter to help senior citizens, patients
and disabled passengers
Such an accessibility policy should invariably have definite funds
allocated to it and must have specified targets to be achieved in the
year.
There should be a theme based annual accessibility audit. Its findings
should be posted at the railway's portal.
There should be a statement on accessibility in every railway budget.
Benefit: It would not only help the disabled, but would be generally
useful to all passengers. It would also be conforming to international
treaties and best practices.
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