Make footpaths user-friendly for the visually impaired

EDITORIAL 

Coordination among the agencies needed

It is very unfortunate that the initiative taken by the two city corporations of Dhaka to install tactile tiles on footpaths to facilitate the movement of physically challenged people has failed to bring any positive results. The city corporations have paved many of the city's footpaths with tactile tiles, detectable by long-canes or by feet, so that it could alert the visually impaired of approaching streets or potential hazards ahead. But the vertical irons and short poles installed on several footpaths in the city by the Dhaka Metropolitan Police to prevent illegal parking and motorcyclists from using the footpaths are creating obstacles for the visually impaired. Added to that is the grabbing of footpaths by hawkers blocking the free movement of pedestrians, especially the visually impaired.

Shouldn't the DMP have consulted the two city corporations before installing the concrete pillars? Were the DMP officials even aware that tactile tiles were meant to serve physically challenged people and installing the concrete pillars in the middle of these footpaths would obstruct their movement? Also, did the city corporations, before undertaking the initiative to pave the footpaths with these particular tiles, discuss it with the stakeholders? Apparently, no. Because some experts working with people with disabilities think that these tiles do not give any specific direction to the visually impaired people. If so, then why waste such a large amount of public money on projects that fail to bring any positive results?

Lack of coordination among different government agencies while carrying out developmental projects has always been a big problem. Before undertaking any initiative, all agencies and stakeholders concerned should sit together and plan how to effectively carry out such projects. At the same time, we must see to it that our insensitivity towards physically challenged people does not make their life more difficult. 

• Courtesy: The Daily Star/ Jan 21, 2019