Physically challenged residents concerned over smart city future

Even as the Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) is leaving no stone unturned to get the city included in the list of top 20 smart cities, disabled residents of the city are feeling left out.

Professor Rakesh Jain, a visually-impaired professor in department of English, National PG College, and an official of Blind Rehabilitation Society of India, said, “There are a number of problems faced by disabled persons and the smart city draft is an opportunity to fix them. However, LMC authorities have made no effort to contact organisations working for the disabled persons.”

He said that disabled persons face a number of problems in the city at present. The problems are more acute for the visuallyimpaired persons. “The city has many lifts with touch screens and not buttons and no audio system to tell where the lift is going. Similarly there are no signages in Braille at any mall, government office, main crossings, and other important buildings,” he said, adding he would send valuable suggestions for the smart city project.

Saurabh Bhargava, a disabled teacher and volunteer, Bharat Vimarsh Foundation said, “No disabled individual can even think of boarding a city bus on his wheel chair. Reason! The buses don’t have any ramp to board wheel chairs. Besides, the city buses don’t have a dedicated space for a wheel chair and any safety belt to tie the wheel chair.” Saurabh Bhargava

He said, “I have suggested for a disabled-friendly transport system. I am ready with many more suggestions for the disabled residents of the city.”

Additional municipal commissioner PK Srivastava, however, said the LMC was aware of the problems faced by disabled persons. “Our smart city cannot be complete without disabled persons. We have planned for a safe and barrier-free environment with proper signages at public transport and public places in Braille.”