April 25, 2019
God’s Own Country, Kerala, has much to offer tourists with its lush greens
and scenic beauty. Sights that the state government, in collaboration with
private tour companies, has thrown open to tourists. But not many are
accessible to people with disabilities.
That is slowly changing with greater awareness. Recently, the All
Kerala Wheelchair Rights Federation (AKWRF), in collaboration with
the state-run Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary conducted a boat
ride at the scenic Thekkady, exclusively for wheelchair users. Almost
60 people enjoyed a boat ride through the beautiful Periyar
River.
Despite the scorching heat, many disabled people and their families enjoyed
gliding through the cool waters. Through the ride, they spotted elephants,
deer, bison and some river otters which are quite a rare right.
Shilpa Kumar, deputy director of the sanctuary, along with
tour guide Asha Rani was with the group throughout. The
event was held over two days and was free of cost.
Roy Jacob, secretary, Idukki division of AKWRF, who
organized the trip says the visitors were thrilled to experience this.
The Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary department was extremely helpful. Usually,
they do not allow vehicles to come near the boat. But for us, they allowed
that and we were lifted by the staff members onto the boat. We were taken
to a nearby museum where they made an inbuilt wheelchair ramp exclusively
for us. All of us had great fun because our families were also there. We
are glad that the PWS did so much for us. – Roy Jacob, Secretary,
All Kerala Wheelchair Rights Federation, Idukki
The event was a part of the programme called ‘Knowing the Periyar Better’ and
this was the 50th such visit aimed at people who are often sidelined and
marginalised in society for many reasons, including disability.
Among those who went for the ride was Biju Josseph. “It
was a great experience because most of us are going for a boat ride for the
first time. Wheelchair users are usually stuck inside their homes due to lack
of accessibility in public places. This programme was well organized and we
hope they host more such programmes so that we can take part in it”.
Hopefully the response will encourage authorities to do just that.
ALSO READ: 5 things you must know about wheelchair users
Source: https://newzhook.com/story/22069
