People with disabilities were unhappy with the Railway Budget — as none of their major concerns was addressed-primarily accessibility. “The announcements made do not reflect the lofty ideals of making the railways accessible and a vision for future that Railway Minister (Suresh Prabhu) promised,” said Muralidharan, Secretary, National Platform for the Rights of the Disabled.
“Except for having Braille signage on coaches, none of the other major accessibility issues raised by disabled rights organisations have been accepted,” he said. “Much needs to done at the basic level. Most railway stations still do not have easy access to platforms, between platforms and to coaches for the disabled. Tactile guiding blocks and warning blocks are missing, which can easily help the visually impaired find their way around at the railway station.