Coming as a big positive, Chandigarh’s railway station is set to become the first visually-impaired friendly railway station in the North and fourth in India.
By joining hands for the much-needed initiative, Bengaluru-based NGO, Anuprayas, and Northern Railways will tentatively start working on the project by November 20.
Under the project, a tactile map, platform indicators, train itinerary signs, and other general signages in braille will be installed to make travelling easier and safer for visually-impaired people.
Explaining the project further, Anuprayas’ founder-member, Pancham Cajla, said:
Meanwhile, platform indicators and train itinerary signs in braille will guide the visually-impaired passengers towards their respective platforms and help them read schedules of trains they are due to board. However, these signboards are fixed and do not provide real time information as in the case of electronic boards.
Further signs in braille will be able to guide visually-impaired passengers towards washrooms, waiting rooms, shops and ticket counters.
Travelling independently has always been a problem for the visually-impaired as they need to be escorted by someone at all times. But this project will facilitate and encourage such people to travel independently.
Hopefully, the same services and benefits will be available at all the stations across India in the near future.