December 3 is observed as the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Each year, the United Nations chooses a different theme for the Day. This year it is: Break barriers and open doors to realise an inclusive society for all.
The day is a great opportunity to celebrate the achievements of disabled people and their contribution to society and also to assess if our city infrastructure is disabled friendly or not. Bhubaneswar may be claiming to be on the path of becoming a world class city, but it lacks very basics in putting disabled-friendly infrastructure, as observed by local Governance Network Perception, a study that concluded just before the World observed the 21st annual International Day of Disabled People on Tuesday.
The study conducted in some of the city’s busiest places like Market Building, Rajmahal Flyover, Master Canteen, Vani Vihar, CRP Square, Jayadev Vihar, Khandagiri, Ravi Takies Square, Ram Mandir-Big Bazar areas and parts of Old Town during last fortnight found that street infrastructure was not friendly for not just the disabled but also for the elderly and abled people to move around of their choice without having any others’ support.
The methodology was based on perception by groups of people who are knowledgeable and sensitive to the issues of human being and disabled people. While conducting a physical survey, the team observed persons with disabilities were not provided with any such infrastructure that they can use. People were seen struggling to use the flyover in Raj Mahal square, where as in front of Big Bazar they struggle with traffic to find their way. Places like CRP Square, Kalpana Square and Vanivihar, etc have nothing supportive even for crossing the roads. Even the worst part is pregnant women, elderly persons, children, persons carrying luggage and those with temporary ailments, who find it utterly difficult to use the public infrastructure.
Some of the problems observed in Bhubaneswar are lack of proper signage and audio signals, non-continuity of tactile pavers and pelican crossings. Rather most of them have been designed in such a manner that even a normal person can’t use them without being careful. It is important that street infrastructure should be accessible, safe and dignified for all, irrespective of age, gender and disability.
The study also found that Master Canteen Bus Terminal, an important terminus and having proximity to Bhubaneswar railways station, seriously lacked connectivity between footpaths and between intercity and public transport bus etc. Besides, footpath height and width varied at many places, while there were many with potholes. There was lack of kerb ramps and no pedestrian crossing in Master Canteen, while encroachments of footpath by hawkers and streets by illegal parking are a matter of worry. The best example could be seen from Satyanagar flyover to Big Bazar and Ram Mandir to Housing Board, where many people seen with disability struggled to negotiate the road.
Much of the city infrastructure is currently under development. So the city can now integrate disabled friendly infrastructure within its development. It can create an enable environment for people with disability and become a model for the rest of the State.
The UN General Assembly in the recent years has repeatedly emphasized that the genuine achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and other internationally agreed development goals require the inclusion and integration of the rights and well-being as well as the perspective of persons with disabilities.
(Dr Piyush Ranjan Rout is urban planner- cum- co founder, local Governance Network.)