Tribune News Service

Mohali, December 3

While all government buildings in the town are more or less disabled-friendly, apparently visually impaired persons were not kept in mind while designing even new buildings that have come up here recently.

To make buildings visually impaired-friendly, certain guidelines of specific architecture in this direction have to be adhered. One such guideline is installation of special tactile tiles (a tile having elevated surface in its middle) on the floor so that visually impaired persons should not face any problem in reaching various sections of the building.

In Mohali, all buildings, even the newly-built Mohali DC Complex and Mohali Judicial Complex at Sector 76, here, lack such simple things.

“Even guidelines to make toilets physically disabled/visually impaired-friendly in government buildings are not adhered to. We know what problems we face on a daily basis,” said Paramjit Singh (name changed), a physically disabled government employee.

Parminder Singh, who is an employee at the Punjab School Education Board, said in most of the government buildings, including his own office, there was a ramp at the entry gate.

“After that, we have to depend on lifts as such buildings have no ramp up to the top storey. In case of power failure or non-functioning of lifts, we know the gravity of problem for people like us,” said Parminder.

Notably, several government buildings, including Punjab School Education Board, PUDA Bhawan, Mohali Municipal Corporation Bhawan, etc., have only ramps at their main entrance.

Mohali Deputy Commissioner Gurpreet Kaur Sapra said the buildings, having no ramp up to the top storey, were old constructions. “Now construction of ramps in such buildings is not possible. So, the provision of ramps at the main entrances and then lifts are being made in such buildings. In our new government buildings, ramps up to the top storey have been constructed,” said Sapra.
Source: