As India's urban areas strive toward inclusivity, the accessibility of Guwahati, the gateway to the Northeast, for the blind and visually challenged still remains a concern. A mixed picture emerges as authorities, NGOs, and residents debate Guwahati’s readiness to cater to this community’s needs.
Despite rapidly developing, Guwahati’s public infrastructure lacks adequate accessibility measures for the visually impaired. Tactile paving, an essential feature for guiding visually challenged individuals, is absent in most areas, including key public spaces such as parks, markets, and footpaths.
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Talking to GPlus, Pranab Das, a visually challenged individual said, “Basic mobility is still a challenge. Sidewalks are cluttered, and tactile paths are hardly available. You know the challenges for everyone in Guwahati, be it roads, footpaths or else. Everything can be a deathtrap at times. But, we have to make do with what we have.”
Public transportation, including buses and shared vehicles, is largely inaccessible. Audio announcements are rare to nil, and there are no braille-based information systems at bus stops or railway stations. Public spaces such as malls, parks and restaurants tell the same tale.
For individuals like Jyoti Deka, a visually impaired teacher, living in Guwahati is a daily struggle. Talking to GPlus, she said, “I need assistance for most errands because the city is not built for people like me. Even visiting a restaurant or a hospital can be a frustrating experience.”
Also talking to GPlus, Mother Old Age Home in Hatigaon, Guwahati said,” We have many senior citizens who are visually impaired or challenged, or even completely blind, whom we have to assist completely. The city does definitely need many changes before we can call them truly accessible for the blind.”
Even if ‘lights seem dim’ in many areas, some progress has been made. A few educational institutions and libraries have started offering braille and audio resources. NGOs such as Shishu Sarothi are actively working to promote inclusive practices in schools and workplaces as they have multiple visually challenged individuals in their institution. Guwahati’s Braille Press also works on the braille transcription into text, which is essential.
In this context, speaking to GPlus, Nirupam Bhattacharjya, the head teacher at Guwahati Blind School, Beltola said, “The city is a bit lacking I understand but I also firmly believe that we have to improve ourselves. At our institution, we have made sure that the blind or the visually challenged face no issues.”
“From demarcated paths to proper seating facilities, we provide them all. Educational materials in form of braille, slates and chalks are also now available readily as facilitated by the government. So, there is no issue of lack of books in braille or other materials,” she added.
Digital inclusivity is also gaining traction, with initiatives to make government websites and mobile apps more accessible.
However, widespread adoption of such measures is still a distant goal. Small changes are happening, but they need to happen faster and at a larger level is what is being expected by the demographic.
The importance of a multi-stakeholder approach involving the government, private sector, and civil society to create an inclusive Guwahati is the need of the hour. From enforcing existing laws to implementing universal design principles for the visually challenged, the city has a long way to go.
As Guwahati grows, so does the urgency to make it a city for all its residents. For the blind and visually challenged, access is not a privilege but a fundamental right. The question is: How quickly can Guwahati ‘see’ the road ahead?
