By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, March 22: Beneath the glow of Shillong’s towering Smart City LED screens, where digital billboards showcase modernity and progress, a silent struggle continues. Amidst the rush of daily life—the pursuit of wealth, comfort, and convenience there exists a community that asks for nothing extravagant.
Their request is simple, yet urgent: the ability to move freely, to live with dignity, and to navigate their city without constant barriers.
For Shillong’s differently-abled citizens, daily travel is not just an inconvenience; it is a battle. Broken footpaths, inaccessible public transport, and infrastructure that ignores their needs force them into dependence, stripping them of the freedom that others take for granted.
Rina, a wheelchair user who has lived with these challenges for years, describes the reality of venturing out into the city.
“Shillong is not accessible for people like us. If you try to go outside, it is unsafe. The footpaths suddenly end, and we have no choice but to stop and wait for someone to help. I wish we could travel on our own, without fear.”
Her voice is one among many, a growing chorus of individuals who refuse to remain invisible any longer.
Shillong is evolving, but its differently-abled citizens are being left behind. The city’s infrastructure remains hostile to those with mobility challenges. Many places still lack ramps, elevators, and accessible pathways, forcing wheelchair users and those with limited mobility to rely on others for even the simplest of tasks.
For some, the emotional toll is just as heavy as the physical limitations. Independence is not a luxury, it is a basic human right. When that right is denied, it doesn’t just create inconvenience; it isolates, discourages, and dehumanises.
Director of the Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PMR) Centre, Lahunlang M Sohliya has spent years treating individuals whose struggles extend beyond their medical conditions. For them, inaccessibility is a daily reminder of exclusion.
“The government has taken some steps,” Dr. Sohliya acknowledges, “but there is still so much more to be done. Public transport, sidewalks, public buildings—these are still not truly accessible.”
“I don’t think we are anywhere close to being a city that is friendly to all its citizens. They have done some work, but we need to do much more. Accessibility should not be a privilege; it should be a given,” she added.
The differently-abled community in Shillong is not asking for handouts. They are asking for basic rights, the right to move, to work, to socialise, to exist in their city without feeling like an afterthought.
If Shillong is to truly become a Smart City, it must be an inclusive one. Ramps, accessible footpaths, and public transport that accommodate all are not luxuries, but necessities for a just society.