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Accessibility a daily challenge for the Mumbai's disabled population

Climbing is a daily ordeal on Mumbai railway stations for Shirishkar where there are no lifts or alternative accessible platforms to climb upstairs.

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Ganesh Shirishkar
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Travelling daily is a routine for sales professional and physically challenged Ganesh Shirishkar. However, climbing is a daily ordeal on Mumbai railway stations for Shirishkar where there are no lifts or alternative accessible platforms to climb upstairs.

"In the last 10 years, only some of the railway stations have come up with an elevator facility and hence climbing is the most difficult part in my routine," says Shirishkar who became physically handicap due to polio at the age of five. Ganesh is not the only one who faces difficulty to move around due to non-compliance of the accessibility part of the disability act. As per the 2011 census, there are 21 million i.e. 2.1 per cent disabled people in India. Despite the Act and various PILs in the courts, the physically challenged people don't have accessibility at public places like railway stations, bus stops, airport or the educational institutes like schools, colleges or the government offices. They find it difficult to use places like toilets or even roam in gardens.

Working as a helper in exhibition stalls, Ganesh has to travel to frequently in various parts of the city like Borivali, Dadar, CST from his home in Govandi. Due to the burgeoning traffic and difficulty in climbing stairs of BEST buses he prefers the local. Ganesh informs, "Govandi where I come from is a relatively small station however even CST and Churchgate are found wanting when it comes to accesibilty for the disabled. CST doesn't even have handicap friendly toilets and we have to wait in lines. What will we expect at other places?"

"The railway projects Navi Mumbai railway stations as a state of the art station. But even those railway station don't have ramps, lifts ordisabled friendly toilets," said Manoj Tekade who work for Prahar Apang Kranti Andolan.

The irony is that even in places where there are disabled friendly utilities, upkeep is a challenge. "Dombivali station have a separate toilet for the physically challenged. It is always locked. I had to go all the way to station master to get the key. They locked it because as common people started using it."

Not only station toilets but public toilets are also miserable. "Many public toilets build a ramp because it is mandatory, but even physically fit person can't climb such steep ramps. They put temporary disabled friendly toilets for inspection and then use it as a storeroom, " informed Kiran Khanderao, an activist with the Right to Pee.

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