We are proud to announce that Svayam has been conferred with the prestigious GAATES Award of Recognition for the year 2015 in an event held on the sidelines of the 95th Annual Meeting of Transport Research Board of National Academics, USA on January 13, 2016, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, in Washington, D.C.
The award was conferred on SVAYAM & TRANSED in recognition of its commitment to Accessibility & Universal Design in Built Infrastructure, Mobility & Transportation for Elderly & Persons with Disabilities and UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Svayam hosted the 13th International Conference on Mobility & Transport for the Elderly & Persons with Disabilities (TRANSED 2012) during October 2012 at New Delhi and now hosts the permanent secretariat for TRANSED Conferences.
Glimpses of 13th International Conference on Mobility and Transport for the Elderly and Disabled Persons (TRANSED 2012 India) hosted by Svayam and co-hosted by Govt. of NCT of Delhi at Hotel The Lalit during 17-20 Sep 2012.
The First ever “Svayam Accessibility Awards” were held on the sidelines of 13th International Conference on Mobility and Transport for Elderly and Disabled Persons (TRANSED 2012 Conference) that took place at New Delhi during 17-20 September 2012.
The Awards were given away on 19th September by Mr. Arvinder Singh, Hon’ble Minister of Urban Development, Government of NCT of Delhi, the Chief Guest for the occasion.
Award Categories & Recipients
Most Accessible Public Transport: Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) received the award for introduction of Low floor accessible buses – both ac and non-ac models and for a sensitized fleet of drivers and conductors. The award was received by Sh. R.K. Kasana, Chief General Manager, DTC .
Most Accessible World Heritage Site (WHS): Archeological Survey of India (ASI) received the award for the WHS Red Fort, New Delhi. The award was received by Dr. D.N. Dimri, Superintending Archaeologist, Delhi Circle on behalf of ASI.
Most Accessible Luxury Hotel Chain: The award was conferred on the ITC Welcome Group for maintaining the most accessible luxury hotel chain and promoting universal design in the hotels. The award was received by Sh. Niranjan Khatri, GM- WelcomeEnviron Initiatives of ITC Welcome Group.
Most Accessible Budget Hotel Chain: The award was conferred on The Lemon Tree Hotels for being the most accessible budget hotel chain. The award was received by Sh. R. Hari, GM (Human Resources) for The Lemon Tree Hotel Company.
Jury/ Award Committee 2012
Dr. Sudhir Krishna, IAS, Secretary, Ministry of Urban Development, Govt. of India
Ms. Poonam Natarajan, Chairperson, National Trust, Govt. of India
Ms. Billie Louise [Beezy] Bentzen, Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist, Accessible Design for the Blind
Mr. Russell Thatcher, Co-Chair, ABE 60 Committee of TRB
Ms. Ann Frye, Director, Ann Frye Ltd. and Member, International Activities Sub Committee of ABE 60, TRB
Dr. Lalita Sen, Professor, Texas Southern University, Co-Chair, ABE 60 of TRB
Dr. K.K. Muhammed, Former Superintending Archeologist, ASI
Awards Background
Svayam Accessibility Awards were instituted on 25 October 2010 to promote and recognize the concept of Accessibility & Universal Design in all spheres of our lives to make way for livable communities – in both rural & urban scapes. The awards are conferred on the organizations in the TRANSED hosting nation, that have shown consistent commitment towards providing accessible infrastructure and services for all. These awards play a pivotal role in providing the right impetus to the development of inclusive infrastructure, related policies & practices so that such initiatives are sustainable and meaningful.
About TRANSED2012:
Over 600 attendees from 46 countries from across the world representing all aspects of the infrastructure and transportation value chain joined the TRANSED 2012 conference which was hosted by Svayam, in partnership with the Ministry of Urban Development, Govt. of India, Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India & Ministry of Transport, Govt. of NCT of Delhi and was co-sponsored by Transportation Research Board of USA. Canadian Transportation Agency also came up in a big way as one of the supporting organizations to the conference. Around 240 papers and 40 posters from 32 countries were presented during three-day long deliberations during 17-20 September 2012.