Parul Sharma in The Hindu on April 7th about improvement for travelers with disabilities using the New Delhi airport. What is not clear is whether or not these features arise from active participation by people with disabilities and their organizations (DPOs) or whether they are best guesses of the real needs of users provided by non-disabled "experts."
The responsibility lies with disabled people of India to assure that it is the former and not the latter. It is a responsibility they carry on behalf of other communities of people with disability from around the world -- and not a light burden in the face of the huge infrastructure investment being made by India on airport upgrades.
What the Indian disability community does today will be the legacy left to several generations in the future. This is the moment for it to step out on the international stage in a position of moral leadership and technical competence. Is the Indian disability community rising to the challenge?
by Parul Sharma, New Delhi, The Hindu, 07th April 2008
NEW DELHI: As the authorities attempt to make things easier for the differently-abled citizens of the Capital by providing for disabled-friendly bus shelters and low-floor Delhi Transport Corporation buses, the Indira Gandhi International Airport here has also come up with some arrangements for dealing with such passengers.The Delhi International Airport Limited that manages the airport has made some special provisions for physically challenged persons.
Special parkingTo begin with, DIAL has made provision for special parking for the physically challenged persons in the reserved parking area near the VIP gate at all the terminals of the airport.
Also, once a physically disabled person reaches the airport, wheel chairs are available for them at the airport manager’s office that can be used free of cost.
“The facility is available round the clock along with an attendant as well as a customer service staff to help such passengers with the check-in procedures. An attendant is there to take care of these passengers who come at the Arrivals terminal as well as those who are in transit. Mostly, the airlines have their staff to take care of such travellers or otherwise we too have our own attendants for the same,” said a DIAL official.
Also, provisions have been made for special wash rooms for the physical challenged people inside all the terminal buildings of the airport.
“These toilets have been specially designed keeping physically challenged persons in mind. We got the old wash rooms renovated and got contact fittings done. An attendant is present inside the toilet, though they have been created in such a way that these passengers do not even need to touch anything. We have ensured that throughout the same ground level is maintained inside the terminals so that their movement is not affected,” the official added.
Once inside the terminal, the airlines take care of the wheel chair-bound passengers, which is again a free-of-cost service.
Different carriers have also arranged for low floor coaches – similar to some of the new DTC buses -- for wheel chair passengers, while a few others provide for ambu-lift facility as well, when the passenger is simply raised to the level of an aircraft using a vehicle.
Apart from these facilities for special passengers, work is on to create a brand new domestic terminal that is likely to be ready by the end of 2008.
New runway
Along with the new runway, the new domestic terminal is expected to benefit all the travellers by reducing congestion inside the terminals. It will also allow greater number of aircraft movements, thereby considerably increasing the airport’s capacity. Designed by architect Hafeez Contractor, the upgraded terminal will include a new Departure building and an expanded and improved Arrival building.
source: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/04/07/stories/2008040756890400.htm
Posted by rollingrains at April 12, 2008 06:08 PM