Dr. Sagar Bhalerao | 27 June 2025
A few weeks ago, one video circulated on social media: a visually impaired man lost his balance and fell onto the railway tracks at Ambernath station on Mumbai’s Central line. Onlookers shouted in panic; a few rushed to help. Miraculously he was swiftly rescued by a Maharashtra Security Force (MSF) jawan, he survived. But the message was clear: Mumbai’s suburban rail network, which ferries millions daily, is still a minefield for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs).
This was not an isolated incident—it was a symptom of a system that routinely fails its most vulnerable users. The Ambernath accident was a stark reminder that despite decades of urban growth and countless policies on paper, India’s most important public transport system remains deeply inaccessible.
For people with visual, mobility, or hearing impairments, the daily commute is not just difficult—it’s dangerous. In a city where trains are essential to livelihoods, this amounts to an infringement of basic rights. If access to public transport is denied or made unsafe, what happens to education, employment, and independence for millions who live with disabilities?
The Policy-Reality Gap
India is not lacking in policies. The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act (RPwD), 2016 mandates barrier-free access to public infrastructure. The Accessible India Campaign (Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan), launched in 2015, promises inclusive public transport and infrastructure. And yet, what happened at Ambernath exposes the gaping disconnect between legal intention and real-world implementation.
Some stations in Mumbai have elevators, tactile tiles, and even wheelchairs. But these features are largely concentrated in major hubs like Dadar, Churchgate, or CST. What about the rest of the network? At Ambernath and many similar stations, essential accessibility features are either missing, poorly maintained, or rendered useless by flawed design.
The platform edges do not have adequate tactile markings. The gap between platform and train remains treacherously wide. Footbridges lack ramps. Audio announcements are often unclear or inaudible. Elevators, when present, are frequently out of service. Even “accessible” coaches are hard to board due to overcrowding and uneven platform heights.
A Question of Universal Design
This is where Universal Design must come into the conversation. It’s not enough to simply add a ramp or paint a symbol of a wheelchair on a platform. Universal Design is about creating environments that are usable by all people—to the greatest extent possible—without needing adaptation.
Imagine train stations designed from the outset with low-gradient ramps, clear visual and tactile signage, consistent audio-visual announcements, slip-resistant flooring, and platforms aligned with train floors. Such a design doesn’t only help PWDs—it also aids elderly commuters, parents with strollers, travelers with luggage, and those recovering from injury.
The tragedy at Ambernath might have been prevented by something as simple as tactile flooring or a safety fence near the platform edge. When systems are designed to include everyone, safety becomes a built-in feature, not a reactive measure.
Media and the Role of Democracy
The media plays a powerful role in framing public priorities. The video of the Ambernath incident went viral, prompting momentary outrage. But this attention is often fleeting. Sustained reporting on accessibility is rare, and the issues of PWDs are too often sidelined or approached with a tone of charity, not rights.
It is time for media to embrace its role as a watchdog for inclusive infrastructure. Accessibility is not just a disability issue—it is a democratic issue. Inaccessible transport denies citizens their right to mobility, work, healthcare, and dignity. Media must push this issue into the mainstream, not only when accidents occur but consistently, through data, stories, and investigations.
Toward Real Inclusion
Authorities must act urgently. Infrastructure audits for accessibility should be mandatory. Investment in Universal Design must become a standard, not a luxury. Maintenance of existing amenities needs strict monitoring. Most importantly, PWDs themselves must be involved in the planning, monitoring, and evaluation of all accessibility-related projects.
The Ambernath incident was a warning. Next time, we may not be lucky enough to avoid tragedy.
Mumbai prides itself on being the city that never stops. But if we continue to exclude those who cannot run, climb, or see, we are not building a city—we are building a system of exclusion. Accessibility is not a technical detail. It is a test of our democracy and right now, we’re failing it.
