A six-member committee informed the Delhi High Court Thursday that there is growing evidence that people with disabilities, comprising nearly five to eight per cent of India’s total population, continue to face barriers in their participation as full members of the society. The committee was established by the High Court for defining an action plan to enable persons with disabilities to travel by Indian Railways on an equal basis with others. The committee stated that though the “number of people with disabilities (PWDs) is considerable, they remain largely unseen because inaccessible infrastructure and transport system confines them to their homes or institution leading to a social isolation and poverty.” “In case of Indian Railways, there has been some progress in trying to create an accessible system, but the progress has been modest,” it said, adding that “there was also lack of awareness among providers and persons with disabilities”. The Railway Ministry had told the court that elderly, ailing and differently abled train travellers can book an ‘e-wheelchair’ free of cost— either online, through the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation’s website, or by calling ‘139’.
