Bhopal: Lack of ramps in police offices troubles disabled

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Lack of ramps in many police offices in the city makes those premises inaccessible to people with disabilities.

Bhopal police control room, DCP (traffic) office, police hospital, and police headquarters lack the basic necessity for the disabled, a ramp. In the police control room, there are only stairs. No ramps have been built to enter the offices of the assistant commissioner of police and additional superintendents of police.

Similarly, there is not a single ramp for wheelchair-bound people to enter DCP (traffic) office. In police headquarters, there is a ramp, but it is in only one building. Worse, police hospital here lacks a ramp. The hospital ideally should have ramps not just for disabled people but also to move patients. At some police stations, like Arera Hills, a ramp is built to enter the office, but it is too steep and can cause wheelchair-related accidents.

‘A ramp is not a formality, it is a need’

A wheel-chaired person wishing anonymity said, "When there are no ramps, I have to ask people to carry me and my wheelchair up the stairs. Sometimes, it takes me hours to find people to carry me up and down the stairs.

“All we are asking for is a properly built and functioning ramp, even if there is one in some buildings. If it is not properly built, it causes accidents. I have fallen many times from such ramps,” he added.

In 1995, the Centre passed a law to provide ramps in public buildings. In 2016, Centre passed the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, widening the scope of disabilities, rights, and protection offered to them.