People with disabilities (PWDs) in Meghalaya are faced with the complete lack of accessible public transport despite the disabled population constituting 1.4 percent of the state’s total, Prika Pyngrope, a PWD said at a press conference here today.
The collective of organisations comprising the National Centre of Promotion, Employment for Disabled People, Barefoot Trust Meghalaya and others urge the state government to initiate the process of making transport and mobility accessible with active involvement of PWDs.
Besides transport, the disabled also have a harrowing time on Shillong’s narrow footpaths and roads, having to negotiated their way around electrical poles, drain holes, trees, steps and even street hawkers crowding the footpaths, which all make it even more difficult for PWDs to travel.
She also said that the disabled often face outright discrimination from taxi drivers, some of whom deny them service or charge arbitrary fares of PWDs.
