A city not for the visually impaired

Bengaluru, a bustling city where roads and footpaths are constantly swarmed with people, makes almost every travel nothing less than a perilous adventure. However, this adventure takes an exceeding toll on people with visual impairment. For them, navigating the roads of Bengaluru can be described as a nuisance. DH speaks to people with visual impairments to get their perspective on this.

Manjunath V, an employee who regularly commutes to M G Road, expresses his vexation over the pole barriers on footpaths. “The intention behind pole barriers is good, but we often end up colliding with them and injuring ourselves. Other alternatives can be used while keeping people with visual impairment in mind,” says Manjunath.

Also Read: Public access in Bengaluru: Mobility disabled

While many roads in Bengaluru are dug up with unprotected pits almost everywhere, Tanuja, a resident of Chandra Layout, laments about the threat they pose to people with visual impairment. She adds, “there are many uncovered pits in the city because of which I’m forced to depend on people around me to help navigate the roads safely.”

Tanuja also conveys her distress over footpaths abruptly ending at a corner, with the gap between the road and footpath deep enough to cause people to stumble.

Under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, the government must ensure that all persons with disabilities have access to every physical environment. Yet, accessibility is a persisting issue. Victor Veeresh, an employee, states that “there is progress in terms of better accessibility, but there is a long way to go.”

Also Read: ‘Why can’t Bengaluru's public infrastructure be disabled-friendly?’

He adds, “Tactiles are discontinued in many areas, pole barriers, unavailability of handrails, etc. are some of the things that need to be worked on to ensure that people with visual impairment live an equal and safe life.”