Challenges Faced by Visitors at Chennai Book Fair

Visitors to the 47th Chennai Book Fair encountered various challenges, including the absence of rest areas, low accessibility, and ventilation issues. The venue’s considerable distance from the gate inside the YMCA grounds at Nandanam, approximately a 1-km walk, posed difficulties for senior citizens and persons with disabilities navigating through crowds without assistance.

Lack of rest areas became a notable concern, with visitors expressing the need for chairs outside each stall to facilitate brief breaks. The crowded fair saw people sitting in aisle gaps between stalls. P.G. Sabarish, a 16-year-old wheelchair user, faced difficulty accessing stalls and browsing titles, while others lamented the impact of shortened timings on their book-shopping experience.

Myvizhi Selvi highlighted the challenge posed by massive crowds affecting ventilation. S. Namburajan, representing the Tamil Nadu Association for the Rights of All Types of Differently Abled and Caregivers, emphasized the longstanding issue of inadequate accessibility options since the fair’s inception in 1977, advocating for solutions like buggy cart services and tactile strips for visually impaired attendees.