When the footpath near the Ripon Building was refurbished, yellow tiles with grooves to aid visually challenged were affixed. As part of the Chennai Corporation initiative to make pavements disabled friendly, similar tiles are being fixed on footpaths outside the new Secretariat complex.
The pavement on Swami Sivananda Salai is now ready with the grooved tiles. The bright coloured tiles will also be used in many more pavements in the city, Corporation officials said.
The Corporation has affixed the ceramic grids on pavements of Wallajah Road and on the footpaths at the Tower Park in Anna Nagar and Natesan Park in T.Nagar. “We would soon refurbish footpaths on the busy roads in T.Nagar,” an official added.
According to Corporation officials, the work of the footpaths will start immediately on completion of the Rs.1,400-crore storm-water drainage project across the city.
K.Rengapathy, a regular user of the footpath near Ripon Building, says the facility should be extended to all pavements for the visually challenged.
“This short stretch has been of great help for many people like me. But we continue to face problems while crossing roads and walking on other roads,” he says.
Nethrodaya founder Gopi says the basic issues relating to the problems for people with visual disability need to be addressed first. “Encroachments on pavements, junction boxes and hawkers obstruct the path and making it very difficult for all persons with disabilities to commute. It is necessary that they widen the pavements and make them disabled-friendly,” he says.
Ramps and hand-grills must be provided and audio signals should be installed in all areas, he added.
