After the lockdown ended Pune has opened up fully and people are increasingly visiting popular places like the Regent Plaza Mall for shopping and recreation.
The Regent Plaza Mall was visited and the following was checked:
- The accessibility of the main entrance.
- The availability of ramps at the entrance.
- The accessibility of the aisles in the mall.
- The accessibility of the washroom/toilet if any.
- The accessibility of the parking space.
- The accessibility of the elevators.
The front side main entrance neither has a ramp nor an elevator hence it remains inaccessible for the differently-abled.
The side entrance is accessible from the road level.
Here is the view from the inside.
There is also accessible 2-wheeler parking and 4-wheeler parking on the backside.
The only accessible entrance is from the backside.
The elevator entrance is also accessible.
The washrooms are also accessible and there is enough space under the washbasins for a wheelchair to pass.
The shops are also leveled with the main floor area and hence are accessible.
Here are some more interesting storefronts that show they are accessible.
The main central area is also leveled up and has no hindrances that will restrict the movement of a wheelchair.
Conclusion
The Regent Plaza Mall in Pune is fully geared towards embracing the differently-abled and though there were a few discontinuities, helpful people were always available nearby to ease the experience of the differently-abled.
This meetup was conducted as part of the Accessibility for All movement.
BR
Tushar Suradkar
Pune
