Soon, differently abled can access city beaches

When students of Vidya Sagar, a centre for special education, expressed their interest to celebrate World Disability Day on December 3, at the beach – one of the most popular hangouts in the city – the officials set out to make it happen. The Disability Rights Alliance (DRA) has been asked by the Corporation to conduct an access audit of the Marina and Elliot’s beaches, to enable a semi-permanent pathway to the shore. Smitha Sadasivan, a member of the DRA, said the entry points of the beaches and parking spaces would be audited today for accessibility. 

“The decorative bollards at Marina Beach don’t allow wheelchair users to access the ramp leading to the beach. We will be checking all this as well as the swimming pool for accessibility and submit our report to the Corporation. We have suggested the use of materials like coir or wood to construct a stable pathway in the future,” said the activist, adding that suggestions were made for provisions of sand buggies to transport persons with disability and the elderly to the shore. For the celebration on December 3, arrangements for a temporary pathway to the shore will be made. K.S. Kandasamy, Deputy Commissioner (Works), who met the persons with disability at Vidya Sagar on November 28, said a team was formed with the engineers from the Corporation and members of DRA to ensure accessibility of the beach. 

“Since the time is short for the December 3 celebration, we have planned a temporary pathway, while finding out the approach points at the beaches to providing accessibility,” said the official. The Corporation is also planning to provide permanent accessibility in the future, without violating the CRZ rules.