CAN AND ABLE

Yashasvini Rajeshwar looks at service providers lining up to curate holidays for persons with disabilities

- Yashasvini Rajeshwar

If there is one thing the pandemic has reminded the world, it is that we are a species that needs to be on the move. Imagine then the frustration of persons who find some of the world’s most exciting destinations and experiences difficult to navigate, or beyond reach, only because they were designed with an unconscious ableist bias. Where the act of taking a flight— or even getting a cab—requires elaborate planning and assistance.

“I was travelling with a helper, as usual, when the airline staff told me we would not be seated together,” recalls Shalini Saraswathi, a quadruple amputee, public speaker, and blade runner. “I tried to explain to them that I need assistance through the flight, and if they truly intended to be accessible, it did not make sense to separate us. But to no avail. I ended up sitting by myself and lodged a complaint later.”

The situation may be far from perfect, but the conversation around accessible travel is getting louder. The travel industry has woken up to the needs of persons with disabilities and is now retooling to make them comfortable. In January 2020, the United Nations World Tourism Organization felicitated Kerala Tourism for making around 80 tourist destinations in the state barrier-free with facilities like accessible toilets and audio aids. Across India, from the Qutb Minar in Delhi to the Sanchi Stupa in Madhya Pradesh, precincts have been redesigned to make them more accessible for persons with disabilities.