Chennai: The
city is expected to get more disabled-friendly soon as Chennai
corporation proposes to construct 348 public toilets in a
disabled-friendly manner.

The civic body will give out the
tender for construction of the toilets by December-end in which 20 to 25
per cent of the units in every conservancy block would be
disabled-friendly.

“The toilets will be fitted with ramps and the
interior design of the units will be made to make the differently-abled
comfortable,” said a senior official of the corporation said.

“The
number of units allocated for disabled people will range according to
the size and space of the toilets,” the official added.

“Even the
pavements are being made friendly for the physically challenged as
around 55 wide footpaths recently laid do not have any obstruction and
have ramp finish. The next phase will have 250 such footpaths laid while
bollards are erected to prevent cars and bikes being parked there,” the
official said.

“We had five physically challenged persons in our
committee while designing the new footpaths and we would also have them
in designing the toilets if required,” the corporation official said.

Earlier
on Tuesday, a group of volunteers from Vidya Sagar, an NGO supporting
differently-abled, people conducted a signature campaign demanding
disabled-friendly environment and accessible facilities in the city.

“We
have been getting signatures to support and create universal,
barrier-free design in built environment, roads and pavements and to
include differently-abled people in committees while planning new
products and environments for us,” said Smitha Sathasivam of Vidya
Sagar.

“The mayor also read aloud the oath to create such friendly
environment for us along with other officials. Commissioner Vikram
Kapur has assured to use disabled-friendly cycles in the proposed cycle
tracks in the city,” she added.

“At least in the new toilets, the corporation must give prime importance to cleanliness,” said Ananth Kumar, a college student.