Airline wins award for being disabled-friendly

MUMBAI: After waiting for almost a decade, the wish list of differently-abled fliers has been granted. In-flight food spreads in braille, sliding boards and portable

MUMBAI: After waiting for almost a decade, the wish list of differently-abled fliers has been granted. In-flight food spreads in braille, sliding boards and portable ramps seem to have found a boarding pass for Indian skies.

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For the first time in seven years, the National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP) a Delhi-based cross-disability non-governmental organisation is set to award a domestic airline for being disabled-friendly.

The annual NCPEDP-Mphasis Universal Design Awards started in 2010 recognises organisations from different walks that make disabled-friendly infrastructure.

“I hope that the award to Indigo Airlines becomes a game changer and coaxes other domestic carriers to introduce similar measures for disabled travellers,” said Javed Abidi, honorary director, NCPEDP and global chair of Disabled People’s International (DPI), a body recognized by the United Nations.

According to Abidi, the overall airlines sectors in India have a long way to go to make travel seamless for people with disabilities.

“Most airlines do not have even the basic facilities such as ramps to carry wheelchair-borne fliers inside an aircraft,” he said.

Special shifting board, stair lift, disabled-friendly buses, and particularly a ramp installed at the Mumbai airport for seamless ferrying of disabled fliers from the boarding gate to airlines coaches were some of the services that won Indigo the award.

“It’s truly a proud and yet humbling moment for us at IndiGo to be recognised as country’s most disabled-friendly airline. We are thankful to our passengers and NGOs who partnered with us to make travel more enhanced,” said Summi Sharma, vice-president, ifly, Indigo. Disability campaigners, however, felt the industry needs to do much more. “There is barely enough space in the aisle for wheelchairs to move. Disabled fliers are carried to their seats. It’s worse for women travellers with disability as airlines seldom have enough women handlers. It hurts their dignity,” said Rajesh Bhatia, an independent campaigner.