Day one brings a clean toilet for differently abled

Coimbatore: The inaugural event of the Coimbatore Vizha was held at the VOC Park here on Friday morning in the presence of who’s who of the city, including corporation commissioner K Vijayakarthikeyan and police commissioner Sumit Sharan. And it served as a good thing for the differently abled people.
About 10ft away from the event venue was a toilet for the differently abled people constructed by the civic body. While the entry to it was blocked by placing a wooden log horizontally across the entrance, a peek inside brought out a picture of neglect - it the toilet lay soiled and filled with muck and trash, giving out a strong stench.

When a few reporters, who had gathered there, brought the issue to the notice of the corporation commissioner, the latter assured to take steps to clean the toilet.

A corporation official incharge of the park said they had blocked access to the park as it was being used by anti-social elements. “After it gets dark, people use it for anti-social purposes. Even if we clean it, they make it unusable again,” the official said and added that he would ensure that the toilets are cleaned soon.

When TOI visited the park in the afternoon, corporation officials had cleaned the toilets. However, commenting on toilets for the differently abled in the city, J Swarnalatha, founder and managing trustee of Swarga Foundation, said the toilets are not constructed as per the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards.

“There are a lot of practical difficulties in using the toilets meant for the differently abled in the city. The doors are not wide enough for a wheelchair to enter and turn. Just because there is a ramp, it wouldn’t become differently abled friendly. At the Gandhipuram bus stand toilet, the ramp starts right after the footpath. How will a person on a wheelchair climb it?” she asked. Swarnalatha also pointed out that several toilets were not maintained properly.