Glimpses of 13th International Conference on Mobility and Transport for the Elderly and Disabled Persons (TRANSED 2012 India) hosted by Svayam and co-hosted by Govt. of NCT of Delhi at Hotel The Lalit during 17-20 Sep 2012.
Request to participate in Survey on Use of Mobility Devices on Para-transit Vehicles and Buses
Dear Friends,
I am appending the letter at the request of Uwe Rutenberg of Rutenberg Design, Inc. He and Dr. Kate Hunter-Zaworski of the National Center for Accessible Transportation are conducting research on the “Use of Mobility Devices on Para-transit Vehicles and Buses.” The research is being conducted for TRB under TCRP Project C-20. An important part of the research is getting input from all stakeholders on this issue— transit and para-transit riders who use mobility devices, transit agencies, vehicle and equipment manufacturers, agencies that purchase mobility devices, and others.
The letter below describes the project in more detail and provides unique survey links for each type of stakeholder.
I would encourage you to assist in this study by completing the appropriate survey. I would also encourage you to forward the information to others who you feel could provide valuable input for the purposes of this research.
Survey Request Letter:
NATIONAL TRANSIT ACCESSIBILITY SURVEY REQUEST
July 9, 2012
To whom it may concern:
The National Center for Accessible Transportation, under the Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP), is conducting Project C-20, “Use of Mobility Devices on Paratransit Vehicles and Buses. “The objectives of this project are to (1) identify and assess the current and emerging issues which limit the use of mobility devices in paratransit vehicles and buses and (2) develop guidance and options to assist transit systems, manufacturers, and transit users in the implementation of accessible design and accommodation solutions for the short and long term. This research should address potential safety improvements and the level of service of public transport for larger and heavier occupied mobility devices in paratransit vehicles and buses.”
A major task of this project is to gather information from a diversity of stakeholders on the use of mobility devices on public transportation vehicles. In addition, the survey activities will address questions for manufacturers of mobility aids, public transport vehicles, and boarding and securement equipment manufacturers, insurance agencies, as well as transit users.
To complete the online National Transit Accessibility Survey, please go to the following:
For Wheeled Mobility Device manufacturers, importers, vendors and distributors
http://myopinion.oregonstate.edu/mobility
For Transit Agencies
http://myopinion.oregonstate.edu/paratransit
For Wheeled Mobility Device Users
http://myopinion.oregonstate.edu/mydevice
The other surveys are available for download at: http://ncat.oregonstate.edu/?p=projects/c20#surveys
Survey for Lift and Ramp Manufacturers
Survey for Securement and Seating Manufacturer
Survey for Fare Payment Manufacturer, Distributors
Survey for Agencies that Fund Mobility Devices
Survey for Transit Vehicle Manufacturers
Please return surveys by mid-August 2012, by either email ncat@oregonstate.edu or Fax to 541-737-3052.
We also ask that you forward this survey invitation to colleagues who work in accessible transport services, whether or not you take the survey. We hope to enlist the participation of as many transit professionals as possible. All individuals participating in the study must be 18 years or older.
All data will be reported in the aggregate so that no identifying information is available. The security and confidentiality of information collected from you online cannot be guaranteed. Information collected online can be intercepted, corrupted, lost, destroyed, arrive late or incomplete, or contain viruses. Your participation in this study is voluntary and you may skip any question you choose not to answer.
If you have trouble accessing the survey, please forward this email to Lydia Newton (newton@science.oregonstate.edu) at the Oregon State University Survey Research Center and describe the issue. For other questions, please contact Katharine Hunter-Zaworski katharine.hunter-zaworski@oregonstate.edu at the National Center for Accessible Transportation. This study has been reviewed and approved by the Oregon State University Institutional Review Board for Human Subjects which can be reached at 541-737-8008 or at irb@oregonstate.edu.
Again, please feel free to forward this survey invitation, and thank you for your assistance.
Sincerely,
Dr. K.M. Hunter-Zaworski. P.E.
Director, National Center for Accessible Transportation
cc: TRB Representative
Disability Rights alliance calls to make Chennai Metro Rail accessible
Call to make Metro Rail disabled-friendly
CHENNAI, INDIA: Over the next few weeks, Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) has a rather important task on hand. It will have to respond to a set of suggestions presented by the Disability Rights Alliance–Tamil Nadu (DRA), indicating which of their recommendations will be incorporated into the facility.
From January this year, DRA, an open, cross-disability collective has been talking to CMRL regarding the inclusion of features that would ensure easy access to all commuters. After sharing details of international best practices with CMRL in a series of meetings over the past two months, DRA members presented additional inputs on shortcomings in the Delhi Metro to managing director of CMRL K. Rajaraman, on Monday.
Member of the alliance and disability rights activist Rajiv Rajan said features that ensure a barrier-free environment have to be factored in at the planning stage itself. “These are not facilities that can be provided in retrospect. You have to take them into consideration well in advance,” he said.
Observing that most railway stations in Chennai are hardly accessible for people with disabilities, Mr. Rajan said: “Not one station meets all the requirements. Some may have ramps and others, toilets for the disabled. But in my experience, I have found the toilets locked all the time.” No station is an exception — be it MRTS, suburban or even the Central Railway Station.
The CMRL now has a good collection of relevant data, thanks to the documentation efforts of the DRA. The material includes guidelines on making official websites accessible to vision and reading disabilities, on making metro stations barrier-free and a legal perspective to accessibility in public spaces.
Importantly, CMRL now has a chance to learn from the mistakes made in Delhi Metro, which is otherwise considered a good facility. A compilation of access audits carried out at various metro stations in New Delhi point to aspects that the CMRL has to pay attention to. For instance, one such access audit talks of the security clearance area in a metro station in New Delhi where there is not enough space for a wheelchair to pass through.
Persons with disabilities have never had it easy, and railway stations are among the least accessible, according frequent travellers like Erode Nagaraj, the noted mridangam artist. “I often take trains to different towns and cities for concert trips. Each time I go to the station, it is a nightmare. I can’t use my wheelchair in most stations,” he said. He also had a harrowing experience with a ticket checking official who cited some “new rules” on renewing his disability certificates and demanded Rs.1,000.
Mr. Nagaraj added: “We see Metro Rail work happening across the city. I don’t know how the stations will be. In other trains, one does not expect anything except a big gap between the train and the platform which makes it most inconvenient for people like me.”
CMRL, on its part, has promised to look into the recommendations carefully. Its MD Mr. Rajaraman said: “We are going by international standards as far as trains are concerned. We are fully committed to making stations barrier-free and the points given by the DRA are certainly worthy of consideration.”
Certain aspects, he said, were not covered by the international standards and the CMRL would have to spend time studying them to see how feasible they are.
Persons with Disabilities do not want special coaches
Dear Colleagues,
We all have been witness to the vulnerability of travelers with disabilities in secluded Railways Coaches for the Disabled as well as the chaos and disorderliness in these coaches. I had myself been witness to few such incidents. Thus we feel, it would not be in the fitness of things to continue pushing for special coaches for the disabled; we have heard attendants being pushed out saying that they are non-disabled and hence should travel in other compartments; we have seen highhandedness of Railway Protection Force officials, Police and paramilitary officials forcefully gaining entry in to special coaches for the disabled and even pushing non-disabled passengers in the special coaches after charging some amount!
We have also heard incidents of visually impaired passengers being allotted special coach, who otherwise can travel in any of the general coaches! On top of it, the coach being touted as “Coach for the Disabled” has no provision of ramp or level entry hence is literally inaccessible.
The Persons with Disabilities Act mandates making the railways barrier free and not creating secluded special coaches. The objective is to mainstream rather than excluding them. Therefore, if persons with disabilities of this country are rejecting this announcement, it should be respected.
Differently abled don’t want special coaches: The Hindu
The announcement by Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi on Wednesday on provision of special coaches for the differently abled people has not found favour with a section of them.
“We expect the government to have a universal design for coaches, which would be accessible for all with furnished washrooms, considering the needs of the differently abled people,” said Sminu Jindal, managing director of Jindal Saw and the chairperson of Svayam, a charitable trust for differently abled people. Ms. Jindal is herself a differently abled person.
Discrimination
“We have been working hard to provide equality and dignity to all, including the elderly and the disabled, and this step goes in the opposite direction discriminating the disabled from the rest. This renders the community more vulnerable, as it does not allow [their] joining the mainstream and restricts them from travelling on general coaches,” she said
Further, the plan to build escalators would not help the differently abled, she said and requested the Minister to provide for ramps and elevators which would help everyone.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2995796.ece
“The announcement on introduction of special coaches for disabled friendly is not a welcome step. We expect the government to have a universal design/coaches which would be accessible for all with furnished accessible washrooms, considering the needs for differently abled people… This step goes in the opposite direction which discriminates the disabled from the rest. This is more vulnerable for the community, as it does not allow mainstreaming and restricts disabled from travelling on general coaches,” said chairperson Sminu Jindal, Svayam, an initiative of Sminu Jindal Charitable Trust.
“Announcement of building escalators, will not come in aid of differently-abled people. We would request the minister to alongside build ramps and elevators which would help all,” she said.
source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/nation/north/special-facilities-differently-abled-360
Indian Railways ties up with NGO to provide accessible facilities at Bangalore Station
Dear colleagues,
Finally, Indian Railways has taken up a very positive step to provide accessible facilities at Railways Station. Though run with an NGO with the help of a CSR initiative, this project will set a precedent for other divisions to follow.
Such public private partnerships have been very successful in the past and have delivered the desired result. Best wishes for this initiative! Here is the coverage from The Hindu:
A waiting room for seniors, persons with disabilities
STAFF REPORTER BANGALORE, February 22, 2012
The Indian Railways has set up an exclusive waiting room, complete with a restroom and wash area, for senior citizens and persons with disabilities at the Bangalore City railway station’s Platform No. 1.
According to a press release, this area would be maintained by a non-governmental organisation that runs battery-operated vehicles on the platforms for senior citizens and persons with disabilities.
“The NGO would also ensure that senior citizens and persons with disabilities are picked up from the point of arrival and taken to this waiting area prior to boarding.
On the arrival of the train, the battery-operated vehicle would take them to their coach.
The facility is the first of its kind initiated by the Indian Railways,” the release said. The venture is supported by ELGI Equipments India Ltd., Coimbatore, as a part of its corporate social responsibility.
Thanking the company for its support, S. Mani, divisional railway manager, said similar facilities shall be provided at the second entry of the Bangalore City railway station as well as at the Yeshwanthpur station in the next financial year.
Metro needs to be more user-friendly
Metro needs to be more user-friendly
Differently abled Take Ride.Parking Causes Trouble
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Bangalore: It was a rare occasion.For 12-differently abled persons,it was a Saturday date with Namma Metro.Some of them communicated their excitement in sign language as the Metro chugged into the MG Road station.
Of the group,Ajith,Nilesh,Deepa and Sunil, all physically challenged, arrived at the station with Satish Subramanian, a friend who had worked with them in the past. The others, speech-and-hearing-impaired, had come of their own for a ride.
They had a hassle-free ride but it was not so for the wheelchair bound. The trouble began outside the station itself. There is no parking space on MG Road.The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation (BMRC) should make space at least the physically challenged. I wanted to take a ride from MG Road to Byappanahalli and back. But due to lack of space, I had to park my vehicle at Baiyappanahalli and then take my car back to MG Road, said Ajith KS, who works in a private firm.
Sunil Jain, a chartered accountant, said: There should be parking space for the vehicles of at least physically challenged people. Otherwise, it will be difficult for us to travel in the Metro independently.
But they did not let it spoil the thrill. Deepa Narasimhan, a marketing and communication professional, exclaimed: It is my first ride in the Metro.
Once inside the station,Shivakumar,an employee of IBM who was from the other group helped the four enter the platform.
NOT VERY FRIENDLY
Trouble arose when it was time for the group to board the train with the wheelchairs. Getting into the train was the difficult part because of the gap between the platform and the train. People on wheelchairs cannot board trains without any support. When everyone is talking about inclusive, why is there no inclusive growth in this asked Deepa.
Nilesh Raikar, who runs a tutorial in Rajarajeshwari Nagar, said: We want to be self-reliant. I cant travel in the Metro without anyones support. There is only one lift and it can accommodate only one physically challenged person .This is a railway station. People will come in thousands. This infrastructure wont suffice. While coming from Baiyappanahalli,we cannot get down and wait till the Metro changes track. There is a lift only on one side of the station. What will happen if the Metro rail is extended and cannot change tracks.
Nonetheless, everyone enjoyed the ride from MG Road to Byappanahalli and back. We all enjoyed the Metro ride, he said. It was a smooth ride. The travel experience in Namma Metro is superb, gestured Sandeep KR.
….To read more click: Time of India, Bangalore
India approves Metro rail for small cities | iGovernment.in
India approves Metro rail for small cities | iGovernment.in.
New Delhi: The environment- and commuter-friendly metro rail will soon run in Indian cities having a population of more than 2 million with the government approving the ambitious project.
“We will be looking at the Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for metro rails in the cities which have a population of more than 2 million,” Urban Development Minister Kamal Nath said at a press conference here.
The DPRs are prepared by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation and submitted to the other states.
“While respective DPRs have been prepared for Pune, Ludhiana, Ahmedabad and Lucknow, the preparation of reports for Indore, Bhopal and Chandigarh is in process,” Kamal Nath told reporters.
The minister also said that the ministry is in talks with the Maharashtra government for getting a DPR for metro in Nagpur, reports IANS.
The Minister informed that projects for the Kochi and line three of the Mumbai metro will be sent for cabinet approval within the next two weeks.
Kamal Nath said the government will support preparation of DPRs for such a system in the cities across the country, by meeting 50 per cent of the cost.
The minister also said that to promote indigenisation in the field of transport, the government will set up a research and design cell as well as focussing on indigenous procurement.
“We have directed Delhi Metro to procure equipment for its Phase-III project through manufacturing facilities based in the country,” he said.
Kamal Nath also said that a National Urban Rail Transit Authority will also be set up to lay donor technical standards and advise government on various metro rail-related issues.
The pedestrian pathways continue to remain inaccessible in Mumbai
Dear Friends,
The article below from Hindustan Times is a reflection of how much we care about our social infrastructure to be inclusive. There is similar situation across nation including its capital- the New Delhi.
Click below to read from source- Hindustan Times
Meant to Help, they are now impediments
Pravin Shingwan, a construction worker who lives in Breach Candy, says he cannot let his nine-year-old daughter Rakhi walk alone to the store down the road because the pavement has been completely encroached upon by hawkers, forcing pedestrians onto the busy street.
The Shigwans are not a wealthy family, so Rakhi walks to school every day, with the children of domestic help from the plush buildings nearby.
“There are fruit and vegetable shops on the footpath, and the little space left is taken by people buying things from them,“ says Rakhi. “Even when we walk to school, the older students have to hold our hands so that nobody gets hit by the traffic.“
For Pravin and his wife, the state of the pavements is an endless source of stress.
“It would really help to have a wide footpath that was safe for children to walk or run on, without the stress of what might happen to them every day,“ says Pravin. Regional programme development advisor at SightSavers, Ketan Kothari which promotes inclusion for the blind, lives in Mahim and finds it very difficult to navigate footpaths with his cane.
“Firstly, they are often too high, and if your cane misses the change in depth, you can fall and injure yourself quite terribly,“ he says. “It would help to have a slope at either end instead.
More importantly, though, there are all sorts of obstacles in your line of walking -protruding objects such as trees planted right in the middle, or ditches from missing paver blocks. The cane cannot always detect these, leaving blind people to risk bumps and injuries as they walk.“ The cane also cannot always tell Kothari when tiles have come loose, so he and other visually impaired people are prone to trip. “Dumpsters and hawkers are also a threat.“
While Kothari hasn’t been seriously injured by footpaths, he is always afraid that he will be. “The chances are high,“ he says. Even with a fairly advanced motorised wheelchair, computer hardware professional Mayank Rokadia, 48, cannot get around by himself in Mumbai.
“It’s frustrating, because a simple change in the design of the footpaths would enable people like me to be self-reliant, for the most part,“ he says.
“Wheelchairs and prams, are not built to climb up steps. I need someone to lift the wheelchair onto the pavement every time, which defeats the purpose of having a machine that can help me achieve mobility outdoors.“
Rokadia wishes the pavements had slight inclines. “At least the newer ones should have that feature,“ he says.
He also complains that manoeuvring himself on uneven ground, with ditches and missing paver blocks, is very difficult.
“The wheels get stuck in uneven areas where the paver tiles have come loose. There are also several roads with pavement on only one side of the road, so if I cross, I’m left maneouvering down the street and that is quite scary.“ HK Rao, a 76-year-old Borivli resident and consultant at the Indian Merchant’s Chamber, often needs to walk the 100 metres from his building to the bus stop to commute, but the short walk always leaves him with aching knees.
“The steps here are unnecessarily high,“ he says. “And since it’s not one continuous footpath, you have to keep climbing up and down, which not only slows down and tires someone of my age, but is very difficult on the knees.“
The footpath is uneven too, which is worrying because you have to watch every step so that you don’t trip and fall, says Rao.
In just 100 metres, the senior citizen also has to wend his way past garbage bins, hawkers and parked cars strewn across the middle of the pavement. “It takes a lot of effort to navigate these obstacles and sometimes it is just easier to walk on the main road,“ he says.
“Of course, I can’t move fast and I sometimes can’t hear properly, so it is very frightening being at the mercy of the traffic.“