New Delhi:
In a first, a railway coach is being prepared with Braille-embedded signages to facilitate visually-challenged passengers.
"The first prototype coach with Braille stickers is expected to be turned out here in October 2013 for feedback from visually impaired persons," an official said.
The non-AC conventional coach manufactured in the Integrated Coach Factory (ICF) at Chennai will have Braille stickers on berth, toilet, wash basin and doors as well.
"The Braille stickers are placed accordingly after consultation with the members of blind association in the capital," said the official, adding, "It is a significant step for facilitation of visually impaired passengers during train journey as part of railways' social commitment to make the national transporter more friendly towards specially abled passengers."
Currently coaches are provided with signage, instructions, seat numbers which are mostly in the form of vinyl stickers or metallic plates and have no Braille characters and cannot be read by visually impaired passengers. Now it is planned to use stickers with metallic base with printed characters embedded into it.
The Braille sticker for visually challenged persons was announced in the Rail Budget 2013-14.
As per the plan, more coaches will have braille stickers in due coarse.
ICF, a production unit of the Railways, has developed the specification for integrated Braille signages in coaches in consultations with blind associations and input received from Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) and issued to the Railways.
Braille printing will be superimposed on these stickers and same can be used by both a person with normal vision and visually impaired person. With embedded picture or characters, there would not be any defacing even on repeated contacts or rubbing. Flexible metal foil base and adhesive backing on these stickers make them easy to install on flat as well as on curved surfaces of the coach.