Making Spaces Accessible – Easy Tips
• While designing spaces, commission an accessibility audit or an Accessibility Consultant. This simple step in the beginning of the project can save you a lot of money later.

• For all buildings, have a trailer at 3.5 feet height across the building. If designed early, this accessibility feature can be aesthetically woven into the interior design.

• Plan to have ramps at all places where there are steps. This is mandatory even if there is an elevator, because in the event of a fire, an elevator cannot be used.

• Braille signages for all facilities and exits are easy to make and install. They do not cost a lot, but can make a world of difference to your differently abled visitors.

• If you cannot change the building in any way, create modified Tactile maps of the main visitor areas of your building. A tactile map for the blind alone will have labels in Braille. A modified Tactile map is an innovation of Esha. The only difference is that you also have labels in Hindi and English. This simple modification helps you use this map with visitors who are speech and hearing impaired also.

• For all floor spaces, create a different texture to indicate a pathway to a disabled visitor. A different texture can simply be made using a paste-on floor carpet!

• At all open exits(i.e., where there is no door, e.g., entry to a cubicle bay), simply add a thin metal border on the floor to indicate to a blind employee/visitor, that this is an entry/exit without a door.

The Braille Alphabet
You can find it online here:

http://www.jaars.org/museum/alphabet/special/BRAILLE.HTM

Blog
Read, comment, and enjoy!

http://www.eshabraille.wordpress.com/

Inclusive Employment
Inclusive Employment is easy to do. More than 1 NGO in India is working towards this cause. While Esha is into creating entrepreneurs among the blind, with a service industry that can be addressed by blind professionals. The other NGOs in the same (or related) space are:

www.accessibility.co.in
www.enable-india.org

Other Links
If you know of any other sites that are related to the blind, let us know and we will put them up here.

www.accessibility.co.in

To get a list of Audio books available for the blind

http://ballz.ababa.net/searchengine/list_blind_audio_book.html

www.baraha.com – To convert text to Braille. Also works on Indian fonts.

http://www.eyes2eyes.com- I really like this one.

http://www.disabilityindia.org/

http://www.shruti.org.in/

http://www.yourdolphin.com/links.asp?act=catcat&id=1