DISABLED LIVE MARINA DREAM, NEW RAMP TAKES THEM TO SEA

FOR 53-year-old Meera Balaji on wheelchair the wish to click a selfie with her husband at the beach with waves washing at her feet has been part of her bucket list since their marriage in 1993. The dream came true after 30 years as a permanent ramp was thrown open for public use at the Marina Beach on Sunday. The permanent ramp, a six-year dream and struggle of disability activists including the Disability Rights Alliance (DRA) and the city corporation, is said to be the first permanent (Coastal Regulation Zone) CRZ-compliant ramp in the country for persons with disabilities.

"I've been residing in Chennai since my birth, but this is the first time I'm going near the sea," said Meera with child-like exuberance. For others like P Saravanan, the possibility offered by the ramp to visit the beach on their own without depending on friends gave a sense of new-found liberty. "I've come to the beach before but it was always with a group of friends who would carry me. I'm happy that the ramp has been built but I hope it will be maintained in a usable condition," Saravanan said. After the ramp design was finalised, corporation officials were struggling for funds to turn the dream into a reality. They were looking for CSR or philanthropic support before the scheme was taken up under Singara Chennai 2.0. 

Dreams of many have come true, my heart is full: 'Bro' CM