No, it’s NOT barrier free

The above is a photo of the plaque proudly displayed on a wall at the Nagaland Civil Secretariat complex – ‘BARRIER FREE ENVIRONMENT’.

I beg to strongly differ and my request to them is to please, please remove it because it is utterly embarrassing. The complex is far from barrier free and I have the photographs to prove it.

They have indeed constructed the semblance of a ramp leading up to the main building. Even this, by the way, has obviously not been maintained. The ramp is cracked and sinking for the better part of the way up making it extremely difficult to push a chair. Much clever manoeuvring and dexterous twists and turns to avoid the loose tiles and, of course, a lot of brute strength are needed to get to the building level – and all credit goes to the pushers.

And here, I must say ‘thank you’ from the bottom of my heart to everyone who make it possible for me to live a full and fulfilling life. As you can imagine, I need an entire entourage to get around - if you can’t, you’ll get an idea when you look at some of the images below. In Nagaland, in the existing pathetic situation of zero accessibility, unless you’re blessed with a strong support network, there is no chance for a person with disability to have any kind of life. It is definitely no country for the disabled.

To my family, my beautiful son and my beautiful nieces and nephews who are always ready to drive me around and assist me anytime, anywhere, my attendants who accompany me everywhere and sit waiting for me for hours and my friends and colleagues who are always there for me – there are no words to express how much your love and support means to me. I’m truly blessed.

To get back to the ‘barrier-free’ Nagaland Secretariat complex, once you reach the main building level, you’re confronted by numerous other obstacles. First of all, the ramp is now broken up into segments by open water drainage outlets. They are not huge by any means and wouldn’t pose any problem for those who’re able to stride over it easily. But for wheelchair users, for whom the ramp is ostensibly constructed, these uncovered water drains are massive barriers. I needed at least three people to help me cross each one – one to control my chair from behind and two to lift the wheels on both sides.

On one side of the building, once you’re able to get through these drains, the ramp leads up to the hallowed corridors of the secretariat building. It is another matter on the other side – after every one or two metre stretch you find a set of steps. The chair obviously cannot be pushed up the steps and so has to be lifted up. There are four such obstacle points to conquer over and above the open water drainage ways before you’re finally inside the building.

Phew, so you’ve reached the building at last. On the ground floor, you somehow manage to get around, despite the narrow hallways at many points and small and congested rooms. It involves a lot of bumping into people, tables and chairs, scraping walls and getting caught in between tiny doorways, but you somehow deal with it. Anyway, what other choice does one have?

But if your work is on the upper floor, it’s a lost cause for many. There’s no lift, of course. There are only steps and steps and more steps. Going up to the upper floor is an impossible prospect for those fully dependent on their chairs. Since I have partial mobility, I huffed and puffed my way up holding on to the railings for dear life and with my companions holding me up. It was a fine exhibition for curious onlookers. We, of the disabled species of Nagaland, learn quickly that we are there to entertain others with our undignified struggles as we try to get around our barrier filled environment.

Then there’s also the fact that a ramp alone, however good it may be, does not a barrier-free environment make! What about accessible restrooms……and accessibility for other disabilities? After all, disability is not limited to mobility disability only. There is no sign of even basic provisions for the deaf and the blind or any kind of aid for those with learning and speaking disabilities and so on and so forth – no clear written signage, tactile or auditory signage and information, etc.

Barrier-free environment? No, it definitely is not! As I said, the proclamation on the wall is an embarrassment – take it down!

Below are some images of my visit to the Nagaland Civil Secretariat Complex…….