Kanishka Sonthalia

A visual log of thoughts, works in progress and completed works. Documentary Photographer

Inaccessible Cities

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How would you get around a megacity if you couldn’t walk, see signs or hear cars passing by?

More than one billion people — approximately 15 percent of the global population — experience some form of disability. Unlike other marginalised groups, anyone can develop a physical disability because of an accident, illness, or simply, old age.

In Inaccessible Cities, three women living with disabilities — Rebecca Lamorte, a former New York City Council candidate, Olajumoke Olajide, an athlete from Lagos, and Nidhi Goyal, an activist and comedian from Mumbai, show us how a lack of accessible public transport and infrastructure prevent them from fully and independently participating in society.

Some 68 percent of the world’s population is expected to live in urban areas by 2050, up from today’s 55 percent. In order to ensure disabled people are not marginalised and excluded as the world’s urban areas grow, this interactive web experience highlights some of the systemic, legal and structural challenges of living in cities for people with disabilities.

Commissioned by Al Jazeera Contrast

Mumbai, India
Out of India's 1.3 billion people, 27 million are officially recognised as disabled.
Mumbai is considered a walkable city. But for the visually and hearing impaired navigating Mumbai streets is difficult- there are very few beepers or Braille signs.
Infrastructure and access to public spaces remain woefully inadequate. Even crucial places like railway stations are not disabled-friendly.