Dharman, who lives near Samiyar railway gate in Maraimalai Nagar, is unsure of when he will go back to his daily job. Before the lockdown, Dharman and several other residents of the area who are visually impaired, used to sell snacks on the trains that run from Beach to Chengalpet.
“On a day where we manage to sell a lot of snacks during rush hour, we can make upto ₹300. But for over 10 days now, none of us have been able to work and this has completely stopped our daily source of income,” he said.
There are around thirty families in the area which have at least one family member who is visually impaired and sells snacks on trains or repairs chairs in government offices.
“No trains and buses have meant that none of us have earned anything in the last few days. Even when the lockdown is over, we doubt when we will be able to get back to our normal jobs and whether we will earn as much,” said David, another resident.
While the residents said that a non-governmental organisation had initially provided them with some essentials at the beginning of the lockdown, the State Commissionerate for the Differently-abled has now stepped in to ensure that they have access to essentials including groceries during the lockdown.
Johny Tom Varghese, Director for the Welfare of Differently-abled said that the department is addressing the emergency needs of persons with disabilities and senior citizens which included access to medicines, healthcare and groceries, with the help of local residents, NGOs and other departments.
“The COVID-19 helpline for Persons With Disabilities and Senior Citizens has received over 7,600 calls as on April 5. We have serviced nearly 3,700 requests which have been classified as high priority and are working towards addressing the rest as well,” he said.
