‘Not A Piece Of Luggage’: Wheelchair-Bound Bride Shares Her Ordeal, Fadnavis Assures Action

A disability rights activist shared her wedding day ordeal at Mumbai Registrar Office which lacked simple infrastructure like ramp for wheelchair.

A woman with disability recently highlighted the lack of simple infrastructure like ramps for wheelchairs and its effect on accessibility in government offices. Disability rights activist Virali Modi recently took to X to share her ordeal of getting married at Mumbai Registrar office where she had to be “carried” up two flights of stairs because the building had no lift and officials did not agree to come down to get the signatures. 

“I am disabled and I got married at the Registrars Office at Khar Mumbai on 16/10/23. The office was on the 2nd floor WITHOUT a lift. They wouldn’t come downstairs for the signatures and I had to be carried up two flights of stairs to get married,” she said in her post which is being widely shared on social media.

“The stairs were extremely steep and the railings were loose and rusty,” she said, adding: “No one even offered to help.”  

Modi said she had earlier informed her agent about her disability but no accommodation was made for her prior to the appointment. 

“How is this fair? What happened to the Accessible India campaign? Just because I’m a wheelchair user, do I not have the right to get married to someone I love? What if someone had slipped and what if I had fallen on my wedding day? Who is responsible?” she said further. 

The disability rights activist said she was disheartened that “my country’s government and citizens cannot accommodate my disability.” 

“I am not a piece of luggage that needs to be carried up two floors. I am a human being and my rights matter!” 

Soon after he post went viral, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis addressed the issue raised by Modi and assured of “corrective and appropriate action”. 

“First of all many congratulations on the new beginnings and wishing you both a very happy and a beautiful married life,” Fadnavis responded. 

“Also I really am sorry for the inconvenience caused to you. I have personally taken cognisance and will take corrective and appropriate action,” he added.

Nationalist Congress Party leader Saleem Sarang also responded to Modi saying: “It is extremely appalling and sad to hear about the ordeal that you had to go through on your special day. I am determined to personally look into this to ensure that no one else has to face the same in future.”