Disabled denied entry at railway station in Bengaluru

BENGALURU: Persons with disability, who were out in the city for their weekly social interaction activity, were denied entry at the K Gollahalli Railway Station, as some officials told them that they needed prior permission to enter the public space.

Dr Gitanjali G Govindrajan, founder and executive director, Snehadhara Foundation, said ten persons (aged 14-42 years) with various disabilities from the foundation were out on Monday for their weekly city expedition. But they were stopped from entering the station, though they had purchased the platform tickets for all of them. Officials at the station told them that their entry would destroy the sanctity of the place, Dr Gitanjali said.

Even as foundation representatives argued with the officials, they also had to take care of helpless disabled members. Only two of them had the ability to verbally express themselves. They were eventually allowed to go inside the station after much argument, she said.

The Foundation later registered a complaint with the commissioner for the disabled, and there was no response till Tuesday evening. As part of the foundation’s curriculum, the differently abled are taken out every week to places like theatres, temples, parks etc to provide them an opportunity to interact with the outside world.

“Travelling through public transport or visiting a public space is the basic human right of any person. The issue for disabled people is much larger. Facilities for people with disabilities, especially for those who are visually impaired, continue to be restrictive in the city. Our society tends to be more self-absorbed and lacks empathy which needs to change,” she said.