Going to the beach for the pleasure of enjoying the lap of waves on one’s feet is one of life’s simplest pleasures, and yet it is out of reach for lakhs of differently-abled people. Driven by the need to make it inclusive for all, RAINDROPSS, a renowned youth based social organization widely popular in delivering social awareness messages to the public through entertainment and media, having Music Director A.R.Raihanah (Oscar winning music composer, A.R.Rahman’s sister) as the Goodwill Ambassador, have recently laid a temporary ramp on Elliot’s Beach in the city, for persons with disabilities to reach the shore.
Organised by Raindropss, this initiative was to spread awareness on inclusion and making public spaces accessible for people with disabilities. It was a heart-warming sight when a the organizers and volunteers of Raindropss gathered to assemble a makeshift, temporary ramp with carpet welcome to enable people on wheelchairs reach the shore.
They used interconnecting plates on the sand, positioned in such a way as to make movement of the wheelchair easy. Volunteers of Raindropss and support organizations helped keep this make-shift pathway in place, whenever conditions turned windy.
Speaking on the occassion Aravind Jayabal, Founder of Raindropss said, ‘The observance of the Day aims to promote “Together a better world for all”, an understanding of disability issues and mobilize support for the dignity, rights and well-being of persons with disabilities. The overall aim is to show non-disabled people that a person with a disability can be a vibrant member of society, as it happens that the entirely healthy are not always quite aware of this fact, which can lead to different kinds of discrimination of varying degrees of severity. In general, these kinds of events are meant to challenge and them get rid of various stereotypes so that disabled people can enjoy lives free of discrimination and additional hardship. People with special needs or differently abled often find it difficult to move about or travel with ease once they step out of the comfort of their homes. Although most schools and workplaces make efforts to make the places accessible to such people, the same cannot be said about tourist spots. Millions of persons with disabilities across the globe have great difficulty finding accessible accommodation while travelling. It is a dream of every differently-abled person: visit the beach to leave a trail on the wet sand and let the frothy waves lap at their legs. But for many, it remains unfulfilled as nothing is more difficult than wading through the sand in a wheelchair or walking on crutches. We wanted to make the dream of every differently-abled person come true, we believe this initiative has made them happy and they will cherish these memories.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Rohit, Chairman of VGP Groups VG Santhosam, Founder of ExNoRa International M.B.Nirmal, Actor turned Social Activist Lakshmi Ramakrishnan, Soil Biologist and Organic Scientist Sultan Ahmed Ismail, State President of Tamil Nadu Udavikaram Differently Abled Welfare Association T.A.P. Varadha Kutty, International Wheelchair Tennis Player Sathyamoorthy and many others participated and supported this noble initiative on International Day of Persons with Disabilities(IDPwD).
