Braille signage boards inaugurated at Bengaluru City Railway Station

Bengaluru: In a step towards becoming disabled friendly, Braille signage boards were inaugurated at Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna Station on Tuesday to help the visually impaired. South Western Railways (SWR) has installed 600 metallic Braille boards across the station to guide the visually impaired move around through the station without any help.

“There are two tactile maps at the entrance, which will provide direction to ticket counters, platforms, washrooms and restaurants. A visually impaired person can feel the Braille signs and navigate," said Sanjiv Agarwal, Divisional Railway Manager, SWR.

There will also be Braille signs on railings of staircases leading to various platforms, in both Kannada and English languages. These measures are expected to provide greater accessibility to the visually impaired.

Pranesh, Director of Enable India, an NGO working with the disabled said, "This is a great move and must be appreciated. Also, we have to make sure the person knows how to get to the braille signs and it must be located at a proper height for all."

Responding to the above query, Sanjiv Agarwal told Deccan Chronicle, "A disabled person entering the station, will first feel the tactile maps installed on 2 columns at the concourse. From there, they will be able to walk to wherever they need to go. As for the height even a child can access it."

The Braille boards were developed by Anuprayas, a NGO and the funding was provided by Altius Reality as part of their CSR initiative.