Day 14 (India) – Final Thoughts
India, a melting pot of rich culture and varying landscapes. The country has always intrigued me personally but more so because there is little known to foreigners about disability and accessibility within India (what is available is mostly on the negative side). We have learnt from countries such as Armenia and Tunisia that preconceptions are deceiving and said countries turn out to be the most welcoming to disabled individuals.
Of course, the safest option when planning a trip such as India is to book with a travel agent, however, experience has told one that, because they are tied to specific suppliers of transportation and tours within a country, it becomes difficult when one wishes to use an ‘accessible’ supplier who they are unfamiliar with. It is for this reason that one went ‘solo’ when planning back in December.
Granted, one could have used an agent and took the manual wheelchair, however, the point of my travels, apart from making memories is to try and dismiss the negative information already out there and to prove that countries are actually accessible to both electric and manual wheelchairs, you simply have to adapt to their way of thinking. The main thing when planning India was to source some kind of accessible transportation to get us from A to B which is where The Swarga Foundation came in. We have learnt from Tunisia that it is common for rehabilitation centres to possess wheelchair accessible transportation for moving around patients hence The Swarga Foundation appeared after a quick Google Search. One essentially explained to the founders what we were looking to do and that we needed an accessible van which they kindly let us ‘borrow’ along with a driver for 2 weeks for a fee.
Although organisations such as Swarga and Lotus Royal Move (in Tunisia) may have not fathomed accessible tourism prior to one making contact, by working in tandem with their resources and expertise ‘on the ground’, it is possible to make it simply work. For example, one wished to book a railway journey across India on the Vande Bharat Express hence Swarga kindly liaised with Indian Railways and the local station to make the arrangements.
Anyway, what are my thoughts on India in terms of accessibility? From driving around the country in the van for 2 weeks and seeing the number of infrastructure projects taking place, it is clear that the country is developing itself rather rapidly. What is pleasing is that accessibility is at the forefront of these projects i.e. ramps and lifts being incorporated into new metro systems. In addition, a large proportion of new buildings have either level access or ramps. The main issue, as mentioned previously, is the ability to actually access these due to the lack of drop kerbs or crumbling pavements. When one was rolling around Kochi for a hour, it felt as if the pavements were the only thing making the city difficult to navigate and how, the simple act of maintaining these and by adding drop kerbs could open up a world of possibilities for wheelchair users in India. It is hoped that this is factored into the future ‘vision’ of the country, however, for now, a vehicle is certainly needed.
When it comes to the railways, it is clear that the Vande Bharat rolling stock has been a gamechanger for wheelchair users and will continue to do so over the next 25 years as they are slowly rolled out across the country. However, Indian Railways still have a way to go in terms of implementing suitable boarding ramps and accessible infrastructure at stations. It is pleasing to hear that Chennai Central is now working towards implementing a proper boarding ramp after ones visit.
As I mentioned, as of 2024, India is a rapidly developing country hence it will be interesting for one to return in a few years to witness the progress. Of course, one will be hiring our trusty van once again…
For the next adventure, one will be returning to South Eastern Europe to the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sarajevo where we will also be taking ‘one of the worlds most scenic railway journeys’ to Mostar. When communicating with Bosnian Railways, one was rather confused to learn that a boarding ramp is present at Sarajevo station but not Mostar station (which is accessible via the fire exit as you do!) despite a wheelchair space being on the train. One thinks that Superbunny will be safer in the hotel room!
