Mobility India

‘Equal Rights and Equal Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities’ has been talked about quite a lot. Persons with disabilities are encouraged to participate in all the spheres of life, access education, earn a livelihood and lead a better quality of life. But this will be far attainable without eliminating the accessibility issues which are visibly dominant in the inaccessible public spaces, schools, colleges, workplaces as well as public transport. 

With the aging population, increase in life expectancy people with disabilities and those relying on various assistive devices make a growing population. For this group, transport holds much significance which should ensure accessibility too. Mostly it is observed that due to inaccessible transport and environment, people with disabilities prefer to stay indoors instead of being out and about in the community. Mobility constraints are a major obstacle to disability-inclusive development, as they exacerbate the economic, social, and personal isolation of persons with disabilities, and tend to push them further into poverty.

MI has been working towards a barrier free environment for people with disabilities through the unique initiative of ‘Accessible Mobile Van’ since 2000. It provides a safe and accessible commute for wheelchair users, elderly and especially women. To enhance the reach of the accessible transport services in, MI has received 3 accessible vehicles contributed by Ms Sminu Jindal, MD, Jindal SAW Limited. The vehicles will be operated from MI offices in Bangalore and Guwahati. Extending thanks to Ms Sminu, Ms Albina Shankar, Director, MI mentioned “thanks for recognising the importance of accessibility. The vehicles will be benefitting wheelchair users, elderly and others who are temporarily on a wheelchair.