Accessibility Redefined
Accessibility Redefined in Mumbai was one of the nominated entries for the Awards of Excellence 2025 in the category Accessible Travel Product or Services.
This is the story of Rrajesh Patil, founder of Acc-Red (Accessibility Redefined), based in Mumbai.
They design and deploy practical accessibility solutions like modular ramps, portable ramps and platform lifts to help wheelchair users and people with limited mobility travel, enter buildings, and participate in public life with dignity. Our focus is simple: make accessibility fast, reliable, and scalable in real Indian environments.
The Interview
1. When did you start your work and why?
I started Acc-Red in 2021, but the “why” began earlier. I repeatedly saw that travel and daily mobility break down at the most basic point: a step at the entrance. One moment stayed with me, when a venue had to shift activity indoors due to rain and a wheelchair user was effectively locked out because there was no accessible entry. That gap between intention and reality pushed me to build solutions that can be deployed quickly and correctly, without making accessibility feel like a special request.
2. Tell us a bit about your city and how do you experience it accessibility wise?
Mumbai is energetic, dense, and always moving. But accessibility is inconsistent. You’ll find pockets of good intent, and then immediately face broken footpaths, steep ramps, missing handrails, and entrances that were never designed with wheelchair users in mind. The city is improving slowly, but most places still treat accessibility as an exception, not a standard. For me, Mumbai is a daily reminder that the real barrier is rarely “lack of space”, it’s lack of design priority.
3. What is your favorite accessible destination?
Destinations that get accessibility right usually do one thing well: they plan it end-to-end, not as an add-on. I’m especially drawn to places where access is seamless across entrances, washrooms, pathways, and staff readiness. In India, I’m happiest in modern campuses and newer public venues that have integrated barrier-free design from the start, because it shows what’s possible when accessibility is treated as normal infrastructure.
4. If you could spend 1 million on improving accessibility in your country, what would you do?
I would invest it into a “high-impact access kit” across essential public spaces: schools, clinics, and transport-linked buildings. Concretely:
- Safe, standards-based ramps at entrances (not steep, not temporary)
- Handrails and anti-skid surfaces at key movement points
- Accessible washroom upgrades in at least a few high-footfall locations
- Staff training and signage so the solution is actually usable daily
I’d prioritize places that create repeated daily impact, where one fix can change hundreds of lives every month.
5. What would you like to share with our followers?
Accessibility is not charity, and it’s not a luxury feature. It’s the difference between “you can come in” and “you have to wait outside.”
If you manage a hotel, a café, a clinic, a school, or any public place, start with one thing: fix the entrance. One correctly designed ramp can change someone’s world in a day. And once you do it, you’ll wonder why it wasn’t done years ago.
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