Hey, just a suggestion... it is compartment for the disabled and not disabled compartment. We want reservations and concessions but we also want the train to run right?
Subramani -----Original Message----- From: accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf Of Janardhana Naidu Sent: Thursday, February 11, 2010 12:31 PM To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in Subject: Re: [AI] Draft petition to the railwayMinister 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. 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