When the temporary pathway created on the sands of the Marina Beach to enable people with disabilities to enjoy the sea is dismantled, volunteer groups and civic authorities will have a lot to brainstorm about.
Each of their observations and suggestions would be important and might go a long way towards determining the kind of permanent pathway that would be installed at the Marina. Recently, Chief Minister M K Stalin announced that the beach would have a permanent pathway to benefit the differently-abled.
Volunteers, who are helping persons on the wheelchair experience the waves, point out that the trial study for the permanent pathway is under way.
As per members of Disability Rights Alliance (DRA) — Tamil Nadu, which has been working closely with the Greater Chennai Corporation, the idea is in the design stage and various factors including coastal regulations and the materials to be used will have to be considered before executing it.
The temporary pathway was made of wood for 200 metres from an access point on the road up to the beach. This was covered with a layer of sheet. At the drop point, carpets have been placed.
The cloudburst of December 30 put the pathway to the acid test.
Jai Krishnan MS, a volunteer with DRA who coordinates between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., says some of the wooden planks in the middle of the pathway got displaced and the sheet got almost washed out in the rain. “Later, GCC fixed the displaced planks and provided a new layer of cover,” says Jai Krishnan. The rainwater that had collected around the pathway was pumped out.
Iftikhar Zia, another DRA volunteer, says that with the wind blowing and sand sifting, the ramp has suffered wear and tear. “Sometimes, motorcyclists using the pathway, and when this happens, we volunteers intervene and request them to step down,” says Zia.
He says it is important that the pathway is built in such a way that a person can manage using it on their own. “Not everyone comes with a caretaker, so the path should be user-friendly to the point that a person with disability can use it alone,” says Zia.
The volunteers feel that with the help of GCC and police they have been able to provide safe access to many wheelchair users since December 27 when the pathway leading to the beach was opened up. “Once the permanent facility comes up, we would need GCC to deploy manpower to regulate the stretch. Or dedicated staff to guide people to the shores,” they say.
Zia say before restrictions were imposed on the beach due to rise in COVID-19 cases, hundreds of people were visiting the Marina and the temporary ramp was a symbol of greater awareness.
“Just like we want the wheelchair users to experience the waves first-hand, we also need the crowd to understand the difference a ramp is making to people’s lives. It goes a long way towards building an inclusive society,” says Zia.
He says amphibious beach wheelchairs need to be procured; life guards need to be deployed at the water front; and a space reserved to keep beach wheelchairs and other equipment with information made available for visitors. We need more communities to maintain and make the space a point of inclusion and socialisation for persons with disabilities, adds Zia.
Along with accessibility, which is the primary responsibility of a permanent facility, providing for better sanitation and public safety such as toilets, lifeguard and medical first aid services are features that must be kept in mind. Inclusive sign boards are required, say volunteers.
Floating on air
An amphibious wheelchair brought from Kovalam beach was the major draw at the temporary pathway made at the Marina Beach for the wheelchair-bound. For almost a week, the wheelchair ensured the users got to float on water — a dream come true for many with physical disabilities.
“Of the 100 visitors a day that we got on an average in the first week, at least 50 of them wanted to use the amphibious wheelchair,” says Jai Krishnan MS, one of the DRA volunteers helping out at the spot.
Four beach wheelchairs were provided by the Greater Chennai Corporation to ferry people with disabilities down the temporary pathway to enjoy the sea up-close. But experiencing the waves in the amphibious wheelchair was a whole new experience.
“There’s a different thrill to enjoying the waves in the amphibious wheelchair as the person gets to float in the water,” says Smitha Sadasivan, member, Disability Rights Alliance (DRA).
She says the Tamil Nadu Tourism Department lent its amphibious wheelchair from the blue flag certified Kovalam beach. Blue Flag is an international certification awarded to beaches that meet certain standards laid by the Foundation for Environment Education in Denmark.
The certification recognises clean, safe and environment-friendly beaches. Ensuring accessibility standards is another criterion to qualify for the tag. Kovalam beach regularly presses its amphibious wheelchair into service for tourists visiting the coastline. In India, 10 beaches have the Blue Flag tag with Kovalam and Eden in Puducherry among the most recent to be added to the list.
