Chennai: First launched in 2012, Kalakkal café in Kotturpuram is easily distinguishable from other cafés in town. Right from slip resistant flooring, hand railing with double colouring along the wall, and the colourful menu enabled with Braille for the visually impaired, this café, with its doors easy to negotiate by disabled people, is truly unique in Chennai.
Located on the otherwise silent Ranjit Road in Kotturpuram, it came alive with vibrant music on Saturday, with the Tamil rock band, Jhanu, volunteering to perform. It was a perfect setting for an enjoyable evening.
For Neha, a student of Madras School of Economics that is located nearby, Kalakkal café offered a pleasant break from routine. “There is a positive feel attached to this place. I could sense a feeling of togetherness here,” said Neha, who hails from Delhi.
While hanging out with friends after college or work is not unusual, Tariq Ansar, a Master’s student of Applied History at Loyola College, found that his handicap prevented him from frequenting trendy places. “There are only a few places I can go, like the Citi centre. It is difficult to climb the steps in many public spaces in Chennai,” he said.
Rajul Padmanabhan, owner of the cafe, said that it was precisely this lacuna that led her to think of setting this up, “We wanted to provide an open forum for not only the disabled, but also the youth of the city, to bring both of them together. The success of this café depends on participation from the city’s residents,” she added.
According to Smitha Sadasivam of Vidya Sagar’s disability legislature unit, people with disability are often looked upon as either a ‘super hero or super crippled’ person. Smitha, bound to a wheelchair herself, felt that the right to free and unperturbed access was paramount.
“Accessibility for the disabled people can’t be treated like a charity in society. Today, our roads, transports and even digital platforms like websites our inaccessible,” she said.
Deepak, who is also with Vidyasagar, pointed out likewise that people celebrated disabled people’s rights, but did not actually respect them.
“Our policy makers should visit this café to replicate it across the state,” he said.
