Persons with disabilities (PwDs) will be able to get close to the waves on Marina beach after a two-year wait, thanks to a temporary pathway built by the municipal corporation in collaboration with disability rights campaigners.
Municipal Administration Minister KN Nehru is expected to launch the facility on Tuesday, while the wood pathway would be ready by Sunday. The route will be in place for a week. ‘The inauguration is on Tuesday, but no one will be turned away if they want to come on Monday as well. From Monday onwards, volunteers and a team from the Disability Rights Alliance will be on hand to greet and guide guests with disabilities. Monday may be a suitable time for children with disabilities to come and use the feature because they are not vaccinated and can avoid crowding after the launch,’ said Smitha Sadasivan of the Disability Rights Alliance Tamil Nadu.
While the beach is made temporarily accessible to people with disabilities for a week in December to commemorate International Day of Persons with Disabilities, campaigners have been pressing for a permanent facility. Although the city corporation has four beach wheelchairs on hand, they are normally kept inside the accessible bathroom and locals are unaware that they are available.
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