No inclusive eateries in the city, force young, disabled Mumbaikars to stay home

After getting the railways to procure foldable wheelchairs and construct ramps in order to make stations accessible to the disabled activist Virali Modi turned her attention to Indiarsquos burgeoning hospitality industry Earlier this year she collaborated with accessible tourism platform Enable Travel to help them audit Mumbai restaurants that claimed to be wheelchair accessible on their websites Over two months she visited more than 25 eateries and found only five of them disabledfriendly Salon owner Bharti Gehani 34 is offered a larger table at Andherirsquos Brewbot staff at Bandrarsquos Bonobo lift her wheelchair and carry her into the elevatorIt led to the launch of RampMyRestaurant a campaign that kicked off an online petition which she hopes to address to the National Restaurant Association of India Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Social Welfare And Development That is if she managed to garner enough supportThe response has not been as enthusiastic as she had hoped ldquoWe have managed to gather 500 signatures and are continuing to reach out to people to explain how important it is If eateries install something as simple as a portable ramp thatrsquos a good startrdquo she says Inspired by Modirsquos efforts midday teamed up with two disabled Mumbaikars young and independent for a spot accessibility audit on six of the cityrsquos most popular restobarsSobi and Central MumbaiWith Anup Chandran 34Bank professional Anup Chandran met with a car accident in 2003 leading to a spinalcord injury It left him paralysed waist down and confined to a wheelchair But Chandran hasnrsquot let it affect his mobility He drives himself around plays wheelchair badminton at Sionrsquos District Sports Complex and spends empty hours counseling others to come to terms with their disability The Kalina resident is fortunate to be in a job where management makes the work environment inclusive In fact the bank where he works shifted him to a branch where a restroom was designed to accommodate disabled users midday accompanies him on a Sunday night to three restobars across Lower Parel and ColabaStop 1 Todi Mills Social Lower ParelChandran drives us to Todi Mills where the Social outpost stands while sharing that he hasnrsquot visited it before The parking area is right outside the entrance and a valet approaches us when Chandran halts It takes him a few moments to figure that the guest needs the help of a wheelchair But from there on every member of the staff is equally attentive towards assisting Chandran The entrance has one step followed by two to enter the bar area There is no ramp so the staff helps tilt Chandranrsquos wheelchair and aid navigation Inside there are hardly any guests and the only group at a table close by is engrossed in conversation Then comes the bummer We realise that the toilets arenrsquot wheelchairaccessible which Chandran says is the most common hurdle he encountersService ExcellentLoo InaccessibleWill you Return Yes but only to stay for a bitStop 2 The St Regis Bar St Regis hotel Lower ParelStarting from the entrance of the fivestar to the bar at the ninthfloor lobby every level of the hotel we visit is 100per cent wheelchairaccessible Plus the staff seems less flustered when dealing with Chandran In fact the valet even fits the wheels into the spokes of the chair indicating that he has been trained in the process This Chandran tells us is because the establishment wouldnrsquot have been granted its fivestar credentials otherwise And thatrsquos possibly why wheelchairbound people prefer going to malls and fivestars They are the only leisure spots where disabledfriendly toilets are assured like at this bar The key according to Chandran is the government mandating that such facilities exist at standalone establishments ldquoOtherwise venues end up building small washrooms because they want to assign a larger space for seating when all they need to do is build large sliding doors to make the toilets accessible for everyonerdquo he tells usService ExcellentLoo Accessible Separate toilet for the disabledWill you Return YesStop 3 The Bar Stock Exchange ColabaOur initial choice is Cubanthemed club Havana located at Gordon House Hotel near the Gateway of India But when we get there we find five steep steps leading up to a narrow reception area which is a far cry from the accessibility that St Regis affords Hoping for a ramp is out of the question Chandran says and so we alter our plans and make our way to the nearby The Bar Stock Exchange TBSE Here too the valet takes a moment to gather that the driver is wheelchairbound But the rest of our experience is similar to Socialrsquos ldquoI have hardly ever faced a problem in terms of sensitivity of staff apart from one incident at Tryst a Lower Parel nightclub where they refused to let me enter a friendrsquos birthday party without offering me a reasonable explanationrdquo Chandran tells us The main problem though as at TBSE is the inaccessible toiletsService GoodLoo InaccessibleWill you Return Not sureLast wordNine out of 10 times the staff is helpful but without central and state government mandates accessibility continues to be a problem The disabled will be able to access most toilets if one change is made mdash they are fitted with sliding doors and have enough room to turn the wheelchair around Asking existing establishments to make the change may be a bit much but the government can mandate that new ones follow the ruleKhar Bandra and AndheriWith Bharti Gehani 34Bharti Gehani runs one of the cityrsquos few wheelchairaccessible salons with business partner and friend Honey Lulla A paraplegic Gehani lost movement in her legs after a freak accident at a nightclub where she was accidentally pushed down a dimlylit staircaseThat was nine years ago Having gathered her life and confidence she now plays sport is a motivational speaker travels the world and commutes across Mumbai in a modified car midday accompanies Gehani on a Saturday night to three pubs across Bandra Khar and AndheriStop 1 Bonobo Bandra WestGehani whose world inhabits the KharBandra neighbourhood is wary of stepping into a place that hosts live acts ldquoUsually their biggest concern on a live gig night is that they donrsquot wish to be held responsible for a mishaprdquo she says while navigating the mad rush of shoppers down a street off Linking Road As we stop by the clubrsquos entrance a valet is quick to hail another staffer and direct the traffic as they bring the wheelchair out of the boot Since a flight of steps greet us at the entrance and the nightclub is reached via a lift Gehani has to be carried in her wheelchair by the staffers into the elevator The place isnrsquot crowded so it is easy to negotiate our way In spite of us needing a tablefortwo we are immediately offered a larger one In between drinks a bearded gent walks up to Gehani and compliments her on her looks He politely checks if she is a regular Gehani tells us that men and women are friendly and have even danced with her at clubs ldquoI feel happy when they look at me and realise their problems are smallerrdquo she smiles When she needs to use the washroom she realises itrsquos not wheelchair accessible The mirrors are too high and the cubicles too small to manoeuvre a wheelchair The manager is apologetic and takes extra care of us when we leave seeing us off till we are back in the carService ExcellentLoo InaccessibleWill you Return Not sureStop 2 SamBar Pub amp Kitchen KharldquoI usually drink at home use the washroom and then leave because the restrooms outside are never accessiblerdquo Gehani shares as we drive to SamBar Another pleasant experience with the valet means that the wheelchair is lifted due to the absence of a ramp By the time we get inside other guests are several drinks down but they are mindful of Gehanirsquos wheelchair and make way for us She scans the menu and picks French fries A glass of beer is out of bounds because the washroom is tooService Very goodLoo InaccessibleWill you Return Not sureStop 3 Brewbot Andheri WestGehani waits in the car as we check for tables at the popular Link Road brewery Unfortunately a freak thundershower compels us to wait for 40 minutes since Gehani canrsquot be wheeled out in the rain Once in due to the absence of a ramp leading to the main bar area we stick to the al fresco section The staff is helpful but the washroom is offlimits Gehani skips ordering a beer again and opts for a pizzaService Very goodLoo InaccessibleWill you Return Not sureLast wordMost guests and the staff are compassionate and helpful I have had people offer to lift the wheelchair umpteen times But there is a lack of awareness Thatrsquos why FampB spaces arenrsquot constructing ramps and making washrooms wheelchairfriendlyAlso seeThese Mumbai tantriks raped women on the pretext of healing them