NewsBytes
    Hindi Tamil Telugu
    More
    In the news
    Narendra Modi
    Amit Shah
    Box Office Collection
    Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
    OTT releases
    Hindi Tamil Telugu
    NewsBytes
    User Placeholder

    Hi,

    Logout


    India Business World Politics Sports Technology Entertainment Auto Lifestyle Inspirational Career Bengaluru Delhi Mumbai Visual Stories Find Cricket Statistics Phones Reviews Fitness Bands Reviews Speakers Reviews

    Download Android App

    Follow us on
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Linkedin
     
    Home / News / India News / This Bengaluru NGO is making India's railway stations blind-friendly
    This Bengaluru NGO is making India's railway stations blind-friendly
    1/9
    India 3 min read

    This Bengaluru NGO is making India's railway stations blind-friendly

    By Siddhant Pandey
    May 30, 2019
    01:22 am
    This Bengaluru NGO is making India's railway stations blind-friendly

    Over three years after making the Mysuru railway station India's first blind-friendly station, the NGO Anuprayaas continues to make public spaces more accessible to disabled people. Since their inception in 2014, Anuprayaas has helped convert Mumbai's Borivali station, Bengaluru's KRS station, the Mysore-Varanasi Express, and a blind school in Mysuru, into blind-friendly, while also educating people on accessibility and inclusion. Here's their story.

    2/9

    What does the NGO Anuprayaas do?

    The Bengaluru-based NGO Anuprayaas, which was founded by Pancham Cajla, aims to "provide facilities/solutions at public places specifically at Railway Stations for the visually impaired," enabling them to commute easily without the need to rely on help from strangers. Anuprayaas also conducts sensitization workshops to raise awareness in schools, colleges, corporate and public offices under their 'Disability Etiquette and Awareness Program'.

    3/9

    Pancham, along with wife, Shakti, founded Anuprayaas

    Speaking to The Better India, Pancham, who hails from Chandigarh, said that he has always helped out the blind, volunteering as a scribe for them back in school. He went on to become a mechanical engineer and worked at Infosys for four years before quitting in 2014. He volunteered with local NGOs and in November 2014, founded Anuprayaas along with his wife Shakti Cajla.

    4/9

    Here's how Anuprayaas got to transforming railway stations

    Pancham's friend, Diwakar, who is blind, had a terrible experience at the Mysuru Railway station. He waited for his train for hours, but later discovered that his train left as scheduled, but from a different platform, BTI reports. With notifications flashing on boards he couldn't see and audio announcements drowned amid the noise, Diwakar was helpless. Pancham describes Diwakar's experience as his "trigger point."

    5/9

    10.6 million blind in India; only 3% public spaces accessible

    According to the last 2001 Census, nearly 22 million people in India are disabled, including 10.6 million blind persons. However, in 2018, the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) reported that only 3% of public spaces in India are accessible to the disabled.

    6/9

    Pancham approached authorities, who agreed to help

    Soon, Pancham found himself pitching an idea to the Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) to make the railway station blind-friendly. "I wrote my idea on a piece of paper and gave to the DRM office. Even though we had no idea of executing the plan, the DRM agreed to support us," Pancham told TBI. He then visited blind schools to research what changes were required.

    7/9

    People aren't sensitized enough to help the blind: Shakti Cajla

    Speaking about how they devised the plan, Anuprayaas co-founder Shakti Cajla told TBI, "From lack of navigation facilities, uneven flooring to the absence of ramps, public spaces including railway stations make it difficult for the visually impaired to travel independently." "They do not want to ask for help all the time, and when they do, people are not sensitized enough to assist them properly."

    8/9

    Phase I was inaugurated back in November 2015

    Anuprayaas crowdfunded the money and worked with south-western railways, architects, researchers, and volunteers to complete Phase I of the project in November 2015. Phase I included: 400 metallic braille signages to help with directions, braille train itinerary signage on each platform (no real-time information), braille menu cards in station restaurants, and tactile maps. The expenses were reportedly reimbursed by the government through MPLADS later.

    9/9

    'Anuprayaas' also sells merch to become self-sustainable

    Hoping to become self-sustainable Anuprayaas now sells merchandise under the label BrailleMate including, T-shirts, posters, wall decor, etc. Through BrailleMate, Anuprayaas generates awareness about the cause and also raises funds to keep pushing for more accessible public spaces for the disabled community.

    Facebook
    Whatsapp
    Twitter
    Linkedin
    Related News
    India
    Bengaluru
    Mysuru

    India

    Here's how you can update Aadhaar address without valid address-proof Supreme Court Of India
    OnePlus 7 to go on sale from June 4 Reliance Jio
    US removes India from its currency monitoring list: Details here South Korea
    Shooting World Cup: Manu Bhaker clinches Olympic quota Saurabh Chaudhary

    Bengaluru

    Now, fly from Bengaluru to Mysuru in just 55 mins Karnataka
    White foam covers entire street, changes China town into Iceland! Social Media
    16-year-old develops an app to help people cope with OCD iOS
    Bengaluru: Three men gang-rape two Manipuri transgender students Supreme Court Of India

    Mysuru

    #TravelBytes: Top 5 weekend getaways from Bengaluru India
    Karnataka: Govt school painted to resemble train to attract students Karnataka
    Swachh Survekshan-2018: Bengaluru slips further, Mayor fumes, BBMP blames elections Sarfaraz Khan
    South Western Railway ticketing-app gets 17,235 users in a month Paytm
    Next News Article

    Love India News?

    Subscribe to stay updated.

    India Thumbnail
    Indian Premier League (IPL) Celebrity Hollywood Bollywood UEFA Champions League Tennis Football Smartphones Cryptocurrency Upcoming Movies Premier League Cricket News Latest automobiles Latest Cars Upcoming Cars Latest Bikes Upcoming Tablets
    About Us Privacy Policy Terms & Conditions Contact Us Ethical Conduct Grievance Redressal News News Archive Topics Archive Download DevBytes Find Cricket Statistics
    Follow us on
    Facebook Twitter Linkedin
    All rights reserved © NewsBytes 2023