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Helping blocks for handicap
Western Railway plans to install special chequered blocks at stations to help the visually challenged........NILESH NIKADE
The visually-challenged commuters travelling on Western Railway (WR) will soon find it easy to locate compartment meant for handicaps, as the administration has decided to fix special chequered blocks on all the platforms.
Earlier, platforms had no indications for the visually challenged to reach the handicaps’ compartment. Many visually challenged people would count poles at railway platforms to find their way. Aniruddha Sanglekar, visually challenged since childhood, who travels between Malad to Churchgate everyday, said, “Railways have indicators on trains and platforms for compartment for the handicapped. But the blind need either audio or physical indicators to locate the same.” “Central Railway had introduced an alarm at all its platforms to solve the problem. However, at some stations the alarms were not working. The continuous sound of the alarm was also creating a nuisance for other passengers,” said Sushil Chindarkar, another visually challenged commuter travelling on suburban trains. The Western Railway installed special chequered blocks at its Churchgate station on an experimental basis. An official from WR said, “To indicate the handicaps’ compartment on the platform we fixed chequered blocks in a two-meter-wide area so that visually challenged people could easily feel the chequered area with their feet and locate their compartment.” With the successful implementation of the project, Western Railway has now invited tenders to fix these chequered blocks at all platforms. “The work will begin in the next three months and is expected to finish within three months thereafter,” said Pranai Prabhakar, chief public relation officer of WR. WR has also decided to install these checkered blocks at the edges of each platform to avoid accidents that take place while people try getting off running trains. BRAILLE AID FOR COMMUTERS In Philippines and Singapore, the Rail Transit Services are especially designed for the elderly and the differently-abled. It has Braille tactiles along the lanes and elevators to help blind passengers. A dotted path leads from the entrance, through the gates to the elevator (with braille buttons) on to the platform. Corners and stopping points on the path are marked out with a different pattern. WR proposes indicators for visually challenged to enable them to locate their train compartments
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