Venues of ‘inclusive’ school sports meet in Thiruvananthapuram not disabled-friendly

The story is reported by Aswin Asok Kumar  for The New Indian Express

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The government’s claim of the 67th Kerala State School Sports Meet being inclusive does not extend to key venues of the event.

Para sports athletes and special educators from various districts complained about the lack of ramps, proper distribution of drinking water and inadequate infrastructure at the meet.

Even organisers said three of the four venues in Thiruvananthapuram — University Stadium, Chandrasekharan Nair Stadium and College of Agriculture, Vellayani — where the inclusive sports events are being organised, lack a barrier-free space.

They even admitted that the requirement to set up ramps did not figure during discussions held ahead of the meet.

Hailing the facilities provided by the education department at the previous edition in Kochi, special educators from Kasaragod said the gallery at University Stadium lacked a single ramp for students with locomotor disability.

“Not just students who use wheelchairs, but also those who have trouble walking faced difficulties,” said a special educator, preferring anonymity.

Taking a dig at the food distribution facilities at Puthirikandam Maidanam the day before, the educator said an inclusive student fell while waiting for food.

“With the soil turning soggy after the rain, even we may have difficulty walking. Need we say more?” asked another.

Special educators from Alappuzha said the atmosphere was not generally barrier-free for the disabled. “Water dispensers were also not provided for our children,” said one of them.

‘Galleries not designed for a ramp’

“If students want to quench their thirst, they will have to walk to some corner of the stadium,” the educator said, adding that the students are facing issues, though they do not express it.

Other educators added that the disabled students faced issues due to the delay in travel to the food court the day before.

As the one-day event of the inclusive sports meet wrapped up, the concerns raise the question of how much the sports meet has taken the concept of ‘inclusivity’ to the core.

Responding to the concerns, the organisers said the galleries in the venues were not designed for a ramp.

“Primarily, these venues are not our space. Accompanying special educators were deployed to address such issues faced by students,” said additional director (education) C A Santhosh, the joint general convenor of the meet.

Stage and Gallery committee convenor N Rajamohan said such a requirement was never raised by anyone before the authorities.