Dear friends, This is to inform to all of you that yesterday a deligation of NFB karnataka including me met hon'ble Railway Minister Sri.Sadananda Gowda and submitted representation requesting to address various long standing problems faced by persons with disability in travel by railway.
Hon'ble Minister gave us a patient hearing and try to understand some of the problems. He has assured us to take a positive note of all the issues in consultation with his officers and we will be informed about its outcome. copy of representation submitted to hon'ble minister is reproduced here To, Shri. Sadananda Gowda Hon’ble Union Minister for Railways Government of India Dear Sir, Sub: Request to address various issues concerning persons with disability in travel by railway We are a state chapter of leading self help organization of the blind in the country (National Federation of the Blind India) and affiliated to Disability NGO Alliance (Karnataka) National Federation of the Blind Karnataka is striving to facilitate effective and meaningful inclusion, empowerment, holistic development, promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms of persons with visual disabilities in the state. We wish to draw your kind attention to the problems faced by persons with disabilities, while travelling with the Indian Railways. Most of these issues had been raised with your ministry earlier, with no avail. Some of such key issues include the following 1. Concessions (i) Extend Concession to all Trains: The Railways have been providing concessions to certain categories of disabled persons in mail & express trains, which now has been extended to Rajdhani & Shatabdi also. But the concession is not provided in Garib Rath, Toronto and some other trains We request that concessions be provided on these trains also. (ii) Validity of Disability Certificates: Currently, a separate certificate has to be obtained for availing railway concession. The railways should accept Disability Certificates or cards as valid proof of the disability of the concerned person inline with air india and do away with the requirement of a separate certificate. (iii) Travelling without Escorts: At present it is mandatary for blind and hearing impaired to travel with escort in Rajdhani and Shathabdhi Trains for availment of benefit of concession in fair. There is no logic to restrict them travel with escort in Rajdhani and Shatabdhi Trains while they are allowed to travel with or without escort in all other trains. So the restriction on the blind and hearing impaired to travel with escort in Rajadhani and shatabdhi trains should be withdrawn. (iv) Concession on Tatkal Tickets: The concession given on other tickets should also be extended for bookings made under Tatkal by the disabled. (v) The term ``Totally Blind’’ to be replaced with ‘’blind’’ in categories of the disabled who are granted the concession in fare. :- In present format of certificate prescribed by the railway for availment of the concession, the term ``Totally Blind’’ is used for the category of blind. while the persons with disability act 1995 recognizes only two categories of visual disability and they are blind and low vision. So creation of such an artificial category of visual disability as ``Totally Blind’’ for granting the benefit of concecession in fare is totally arbitratory, discriminatory, confusing and unfare.Hence it needs to be rectified and termed as`` blind’’ 2. Separate quota of berths in AC 2tier/AC 3 tier coaches for persons with disabilities: A separate quota of atleast two birth in each coach of AC 2 tier/3 tier classes may be earmarked quota should be consist of lower berths only. 3. E Booking Facility: The repeated promises of extending e-booking facility to the disabled should be honored. The Railway Board had promised in the Delhi High Court to start a pilot project in this regard. This is yet to be implemented. E Booking facility should be extended to persons with disabilities. inline with E-booking of senior citizens with concession. , the TTE can ask for proof (disability certificate) during the course of the journey. 4. Coach for Disabled: Many a time the coach meant for the disabled is occupied by other travelers, railway employees and even RPF personnel. Placement of this coach has also not been consistent – sometimes it is placed at the end of the train and sometimes it is placed next to the engine. It should be ensured that the coach be placed next to the guard’s coach and a disabled sensitive attendant be provided in these coaches to ensure that none other than disabled persons and their escorts are allowed. 5. Accessibility: You will appreciate that the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Right and Full Participation) Act, 1995, mandates railway stations and coaches to be made barrier free. Its implementation, however, has been disappointing. The United Nations Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) which India has ratified also mandates that persons with disabilities have “access, on an equal basis with others, to the physical environment, to transportation……..” Railway stations are not accessible. Ramps are rare and wherever available are limited for entry into the foot over-bridges. Platforms are inaccessible. The gap (height) between the platform and the coach varies from station to station. There is not enough space for mobility inside the coaches. Toilets cannot be used by persons with certain disabilities. Inter-platform transfers pose a big challenge. • The Railways should go in for universal design. • Ramps/Lifts should be provided wherever necessary. As against escalators which are not disabled friendly, elevators can be used by persons with disabilities. • Floor tiles everywhere should be non slippery • Tactile marking should be made on the platform to guide blind persons to the exit, bridges, stairs, ticketing counters etc. Tactile markings should also be provided on the edges of the platforms. Platform numbers should be labelled in Braille both at the entry/exit points as well as on the railing of the foot over bridge. • To guide persons with low visibility stations should also have coloured markings and contrasts to guide low vision persons to ticket counters, platforms over bridges etc. Colored markings should be made on the edge of platforms including tactile markings to warn passengers with low vision of the edge of the platform. • All Coaches should have Braille embossed signage. • Battery operated cars now provided at some stations should be made available at all major stations and platforms. • Provision of sign language interpreters at stations. 6. Sensitizing Railway Staff: The disabled encounter a lot of problems at railway counters. There is a need to sensitize all personnel working in the railways, especially those dealing directly with travelers, on issues connected with disability. 7. Disabled Hawkers: The vast majority of the disabled people in the country are poor. Denied employment, many of them do odd jobs, one of them being hawking petty items on board trains to sustain themselves and their families. Disabled persons should be given license to sell such items on trains. 8. PCO Booths: The railways had earlier allotted PCO booths to persons with disabilities. However, now these PCOs have become redundant with the large scale use of mobile phones. Many of these PCO booths have been disbanded by the railways. These PCO booths may be converted into convenience stores for which licenses can be given to disabled persons to vend essential goods required by passengers. The railways are selling unreserved tickets through private agents. Licenses may be given to those operating such booths within railway premises to sell such tickets and the license fee may be waived. 9. Last but not least, usage of terms like “Orthopedically Handicapped/ Paraplegic persons”, “mentally retarded”, “deaf and dumb (both afflictions together)”, to denote certain disabilities, should be discontinued. Instead, the more correct terms like “persons with locomotor disability”, “intellectual disabilities”, “hearing and speech impairment” (both conditions together)” should be used. We have full faith in your administrative competence and sensitivity towards the weaker section of the society like persons with disability and hope that your honor would consider all afforested issues favorably. Yours truly (Gautam Agarwal) General Secretary Clean India Campaign: Let us also chip in! 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