Public Transport in Mumbai: Challenges faced by the Disabled Community

Ava Gilder
Symbiosis School for Liberal Arts

Abstract

People with Disabilities (PwDs) are an extremely marginalised community in India. Although
they have access to concessions and reservations for travel amongst other things, physical
accessibility is still lacking. Scholarship concerning disability (and accessibility) in India is
limited, and general awareness regarding PwDs and disabilities is lacking. Therefore, it is
difficult to take the necessary steps that will provide PwDs with a better standard of living and
quality of life. The objective of this study is to understand how people with cerebral palsy use
public transport for their daily travels in Mumbai. It employs in-depth interviews and the
interviewees are people with cerebral palsy or their care-givers. The study provides
recommendations for provisions to improve social and physical accessibility for PwDs, which
can lead to more inclusion.

Keywords: People with disabilities, cerebral palsy, public transport, accessibility, awareness