August 26, 2019
Almost two years after Bengaluru entrepreneur Prateek Khandelwal
launched the #RampMyCity campaign to make restaurants accessible,
Chennai-based charitable organization Ladies Circle India has announced plans
to scale up the campaign in many parts of India.
Two years ago, when Bengaluru-based entrepreneur Prateek
Khandelwal got the idea of launching a campaign to make city
restaurants accessible to disabled people, there were some sceptical
reactions. “Many people told me it would never work”, he says but Prateek
persisted, convinced that #RampMyCity would blow in winds of change.
Prateek reached out to owners of high-end restaurants and found them open to
the idea. From eight restaurants in the initial months, the number grew to 30
across Bengaluru in 18 months. This included many high-end ones like
Farzi Café, Big Brewski Brewing Company,
Ebony and Rock Salt to name just a few.
“I went directly to the restaurant owners and in 18 months, I was able to
convince 30 restaurants in Bengaluru. I knew I was doing the right thing”, he
says. “My main focus was on doing the field work, sensitising staff, etc.,
and I knew it would scale up”.
It certainly has, and how! Impressed by the transformation at Big Brewski,
Ladies Circle India, a charitable organisation in Chennai
linked to Round Table India has decided to install ramps
across metros in the country and some small towns.
We have 300 circles across Indian cities and every year we take up one
project internationally. I watched some videos on the #RampMyCity project
and we decided to take it up this year. Our country has no ramps, and this
is a necessity. The more I spoke to Prateek about the idea, the more
convinced I became. If we do this, it will also attract tourists to the
country. – Ramona Crasta, National President &Theme Projects
Convener, Ladies Circle India
The aim is to put up 10 ramps in every metro. Funds for this
will be collected through events like tambola. The first tambola is on 27
August. “In some cities, we are confident we can put as many as 100 ramps,
while in smaller cities like Mysuru, Mangalore, Vadodara and Sakleshwar, etc.
we are looking at 4-5”, adds Ramona.
Last year Ladies Circle India had raised money to build a whopping 700 toilet
blocks across many parts of rural India. This time too, they are confident of
making it a success. Prateek is happy his conviction has paid off and hopes
this will bring in a revolution.
“This means HUNDREDS OF RAMPS will be built across India at public places
like schools, parks, workplaces, houses, tourist spots, restaurants etc in
the coming months in various cities which would change lives wheelchair
users. RampMyCity, which started as a simple appeal to restaurants to make
themselves accessible, will now see ramps at various public places, driving
India towards not only being an accessible country but also inclusive in how
we treat people using wheelchairs”.
