For decades, the disability lobby in the city has accused the Mass Rapid Transit System and suburban rail network of being apathetic to the needs of the disabled.
But Chennai Metro, in sharp contrast to the other public transport systems, has chalked out a promising plan of inclusion.
In a first, 30 customer relationship assistants of Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) are now undergoing sign language training to be able to communicate with the hearing impaired.
P. Rajasekharan of V-Shesh which is training these assistants said, “We have been teaching them the basics of sign language so that those with hearing impairment are able to communicate with the staff. We also sensitise them on how to handle wheelchairs and people with disability.”
The training will continue over the next few weeks, he said.
Not just that, the assistants will also undergo other training sessions, including those on communication, customer care and security and disaster management, said an official of CMRL.
Each station will have three or four customer relationship assistants to exclusively assist those with disability, he said.
Recently, members of Disability Rights Alliance (DRA) had met CMRL officials and given them a few additional suggestions.
“We have asked them to place a bell outside the lift at Metro stations, so disabled persons exiting the lift can seek assistance to be led to the platform. They have been very receptive to our suggestions. In fact, they have asked us to recommend the type of wheelchairs that can be procured for the stations,” said Vaishnavi Jayakumar, member of DRA.
Amba Salelkar of Inclusive Planet Centre for Disability Law and Policy said they have requested for a messaging service or webpage through which the disabled can learn in advance if some service is unavailable.
“For instance, if the lift is not working, there should be a facility to inform commuters about it. People can subscribe to the messaging service if they wish,” she said. This will help regular commuters too.
These proposals may make Chennai Metro seem impressive but the upkeep of the stations in the long run will decide how accessible they are to disabled people, said Ms. Salelkar.
