CHENNAI: If you live in a 10 storey apartment block or work in one of those high rise IT parks in the city, it would be safe to say that the elevator is a dependable friend. And possibly, power cuts, a curse. On People Flow Day, organised by Kone Elevator India Private Limited, the heavily populated Raheja Towers on Anna Salai had Kone employees interacting with people at elevator entrances to understand the varied needs of different user groups, ranging from working professionals on the go to the visually impaired, the differently-abled and senior citizens.Neeraj Sharma, MD, Kone Elevator India Private Limited, said, “This is the second year we are doing this and in 2011, our focus is accessibility.” He specifies, “Accessibility is not only about ramps that make a building more disabled-friendly. Something as basic as the placement of the button panel at the right height inside the lift for the wheelchair bound to be able to reach it with ease is also important.” As part of the event, the employees also role-played a few sections of elevator users that find it difficult to use elevators, in order to understand their problems better. One of the employees explained, “We found out that in the case of senior citizens, their first priority is safety. For instance, if the doors close early while entering or even a slight screeching noise may cause panic.” To be more aware of such difficulties, participants from Kone visited a number of NGOs for the physically challenged and visually impaired, added Sreelakshmi Menon, Director, Marketing and Communications. Another participant offered, “Our feedback from those who are visually-impaired is to have a more interactive lift facility where there is an announcement mechanism. This could direct the person to turn left for the canteen or right for the conference room, for instance.” Perhaps one of the most striking points made at the event was with reference to the efficiency of speed while using an elevator. Sharma revealed, “At a commercial complex, a lift should reach you within a matter of 12 seconds. However, if you observe the movement at some of the older buildings in the city, the waiting period may go even up to 20 minutes if it is at peak hours, such as lunch time.”Apparently, these days, traffic snarls are no longer restricted to arterial roads or the bustling narrow streets. So, the next time you take a lift, you might want to get friendly with the attendant, just in case.
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