Ceramic tile company H&R Johnson has launched an initiative to address the needs of the differently-abled and help them gain better mobility to places hitherto inaccessible.

The company’s Red Ramp Project hopes to put the spotlight on the fact that despite the country being home to over 10 million differently-abled people, only five per cent of its public spaces were disabled-friendly.

Using its tiles, the company created a ramp on the Kiri beach in Goa that now helps the physically-challenged access the sea on their wheel-chairs and crutches.

By creating a film on the issue, which will soon be shared on the social media, Johnson Tiles says it hopes to bring about a change in mindset.

Sushil Matey, Chief Operating Officer, H&R Johnson said the company was looking to appropriate a larger good to the brand. “We evaluated a few initiatives, but this one appealed the most to us because of its need in India and its uniqueness and scalability. We expect the movement to gain traction,” he said.

The project was conceptualised by Soho Square Mumbai, a specialist marketing services firm.

As Anuraag Khandelwal, Creative Head, Soho Square Mumbai, pointed out, a lot of personal experience has gone into the making of the film. “I have been on crutches since childhood. Public spaces like temples, beaches, cinema halls, railway stations, cafes, etc.,are mostly out of bounds. Small joys are a big struggle,” he said, adding that it was necessary for the initiative to spark debates, conversations, and some policy change.

Satish DeSa, also Creative Head of Soho Square added that society was not really sensitised to the needs of differently-abled.

To ensure involvement and garner support for the initiative, H&R Johnson has created a portal, asking people to provide inputs and comments along with pictures of places where there is a need to create ramps that make public spaces access-friendly for the disabled. The ultimate aim is also to reach policy makers who can influence the government and begin the journey towards an access friendly country.

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