Jul - Sep 1997

Amar Jyoti School
Amar Jyoti was started in 1981 with a multi-pronged approach of integrated education, medical care, vocational training and self-development. The organisation, based in Delhi… has an integrated group of able-bodied and disabled children with all the facilitiesfor academic achievement and extra curricular activities. Some of the children have participated in international games. The institute prides itself in successfully promoting the practice of integrated sports – where both able-bodied and disabled children compete equally in sports events.....more

A Ride with Women on Wheels by Shoba Raja,
On 15 th June, around 3 p.m. Hema and I reached Dallas International airport at Washington. From that moment we never stopped marvelling at the ‘access' – such complete access – a reality for people with disabilities in the developed world.
Our room on the 5 th floor of the Hyatt Regency Bethesda, Maryland was big, yet cosy. Most importantly, the bathroom doorway was broad enough to be wheelchair accessible. The only time we needed extra help was when Hema had to get into her bigger ‘outdoors' wheelchair every morning. But the hotel staff being so obligingly willing and helpful made this a very pleasant exercise.
What made the trip significant was that I was able to see most of the places with Hema. ‘Access' for wheelchair users was unbelievably easy and to us, seemed all pervading. A street-level elevator took us right down to the metro station located just below the hotel. When the metro tube train arrived it was sheer delight to see the perfect blend and the matching levels between the platform and the train floor. Hema just wheeled in. When we reached our destination, she only had to wheel out, get into another elevator, which again brought us right up to the street. Every museum, indeed every building, had the sign indicating the location for wheelchair entry and exit. Is this luxury? Or is it efficiency? What is it that makes things possible here, I wonder! Things which in India seem, if not impossible, at least a hundred years away....more

Where disability is no indignity by Padmini Natarajan
The first sign that caught my eye at Charles de Gaulle airport, Paris, was the symbol for the wheelchair in the concourse and toilets. For the disabled, there were special lifts to take them to the Baggage Claim area. Ramps were available to help them leave the airport premises and take taxis or their private pick – ups. The taxi drivers were very helpful with the loading of the luggage.
In Supermarkets, right in front of the entrance doors, handicapped people are allowed to get down and their wheelchairs gain easy access through ramps. Most shops have special lifts to facilitate shopping for senior citizens and disabled persons.
Traffic signals and pedestrian crossings are equipped with beepers or audio – signals. Even the blinking green man gives you sufficient time to cross the road. Above all, drivers wait patiently for pedestrians to cross, even if the signals turn green for vehicles. Police and other pedestrians actively and courteously help the disabled to cross roads.
At Metros audible announcements are frequently broadcast on the public address systems timings for different trains, their destinations and platform numbers. Platforms display the length of trains and positioning of compartments to facilitate boarding without last minute panic.
Buses are also provided with special steps to help wheelchairs get in. A bus that had special arrangements for accommodating wheelchairs was also equipped with a foldable, hoisting platform at its side to lift up or bring down a wheelchair and its occupant.
On a visit to the tulip gardens at Kukenhof, Holland, I was impressed by the number of wheelchair bound visitors who had been brought by relatives and volunteers. The freedom with which these tourists could move around with minimal help was awesome. This was the case in all the museums as well. I saw a quadriplegic girl in a wheelchair enjoying the commentary on Van Gogh's life and work through earphones as she traversed the museum without being dependent on her companion. The earphones would automatically ply the commentary when one entered the various rooms of the museum.
All that I saw in Europe was a clear demonstration of society's empathy and commitment towards the welfare of disabled persons. In developed countries, disability is not an indignity....more

To the seashore on a wheelchair by Dr. Sruti Mohapatra,
The Share family is a forum for people with disabilities and mainstream friends in Bhubaneswar, Orissa. On Sunday, the ninth of February 1997, we started for Chandrabhaga, a picturesque sea-beach near Konark, the famous sun temple of Orissa. The one and a half hour drive was done in a bus. With the help of our friends we went down slopes, climbed sand dunes, helped cook in the open, danced to music and bathed in the sea. Just like in climbing the Everest or exploring the mysteries of the deep ocean, we also encountered numerous physical barriers and overcame them. Although not smoothly always, we were able to manage things and had a wonderful voyage into the sea.. ...more