The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : A right function for the ramp

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Thursday, Dec 04, 2008
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Tamil Nadu - Chennai

A right function for the ramp

Special Correspondent

Federation of Sabhas, NGO join hands to make auditoria disabled-friendly

— Photo: R.Ragu

ENTHUSIASTIC RESPONSE: Special Children from Maithree School performing at the World Disability Day function organised in Chennai by Shakti Foundation on Wednesday.

CHENNAI: There was something startlingly different about the Music Academy on Wednesday.

There were a lot of stalls selling colourful wares, but that is not unusual in the music season. The crowds were usual too. What stood out was the grey-carpeted gentle incline that ran right up to the dais. The ramps were meant to help persons with disabilities to have easy access to the stage. On Wednesday, had Velan Raghuvir been alive, he’d have merrily wheeled up to the stage to participate in a function that would put the disabled on the centre stage.

It was also appropriate that Prabha Sridevan, judge of the Madras High Court, said: “We are standing on the threshold of a barrier-free world.” It was literally true. Standing on the stage of the Music Academy, stretched out to her right was a grey-carpeted ramp that ran nearly right up to where she was. Ms. Sridevan also spoke her hope of “one day meeting on World Disability Day to celebrate universal access.”

The Federation of Sabhas in the city and the Shakti Foundation, a non-governmental organisation, have joined hands to make auditoria disabled-friendly. It was appropriate that the World Disability Day function, organised by the foundation, in association with Airtel and Cavin Kare, took place at the Music Academy, one of the key Sabhas.

Vasanth Raghuvir of the foundation detailed how the organisation was born when her son Velan stopped walking at 10. Since then, it had worked to make access possible for the disabled, to remove hurdles that would keep them from living life to the full.

She readily acknowledged the support of Rajiv Rajagopal of Airtel, C.K.Ranganathan of Cavin Kare, N.K.Ranganath of Grundfos Pumps and GRK Reddy of Marg Foundations, all of whom were present at the meeting to pledge their corporate resources once again to the cause of the disabled.

Andrew Simkin, U.S. Consul-General in Chennai, spoke about the Americans with Disabilities Act that got employers to take reasonable measures to enable the disabled to work. Later, children from various special schools took the stage, along with Ganesh Kumar, who rattled out an energetic ‘konnakol,’ enacting little tableaus much to the delight of the audience. No doubt, the ramps were, indeed, meant to be there.

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