The Tithal beach in Valsad district of Gujarat is all set to become the first disabled-friendly beach in India. Preparations are on to open the 1 km stretch of the beach by June, which will have open access right up to the waters with disabled-friendly food courts, washrooms and entertainment area. Tenders were recently floated for the project that will include construction of slopes with no barriers or steps and installation of detailed signage so that the disabled can reach the water without any assistance. Construction on the 3- km long beach will be made in two phases.

In the first phase a kilometer long stretch will be converted for the handicapped while the 2-km second phase will be taken up later. The government will spend Rs5 crore in the first phase. The bathrooms and changing rooms will be accessible via wheelchairs and the food counters will be lower in height to serve the disabled.

One of the biggest impediments for the disabled population in India is lack of proper infrastructure in public places. Most public places like hospitals, movie theatres, train stations, beaches and parks, lack the necessary facilities for the disabled. They are left with no choice but to depend on someone for help. Many attempts to make public areas inclusive for the disabled have been successful, but we are still a long way to go.

What is Red Ramp Project?

• A similar initiative for making beaches accessible for disabled persons was launched in Goa last year.
• The campaign also invited people to an online platform to share images of places that need ramps in India, and are requesting people to sign a petition asking for more accessibility.
• Although the project was a temporary one, it was one of the first few attempts at exploring the problem of  inaccessibility  for the disabled in public spaces like beaches.