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Govt. of India invites ideas/ proposals to conduct Access Audits 100 Most frequented Govt. Buildings

Dear Colleagues,

Under Accessible India Campaign, the Government of India wants you to express your choice of a Govt. building that is most frequented by public. The exercise is to identify 100 such Govt. buildings in your cities  and then to take up the access improvement work in fast track to make them completely accessible within a time bound manner.

To give you a background, the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment had launched the “Accessible India Campaign (Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan)” as a nation-wide flagship campaign for achieving universal accessibility that will enable persons with disabilities to gain access for equal opportunity and live independently and participate fully in all aspects of life in an inclusive society. The campaign targets at enhancing the accessibility of built environment, transport system and Information & communication eco-System.

The campaign would initially be implemented on pilot basis in seven States, which include Delhi, Assam, Gujarat, Haryana, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu. A strategy paper of the nation-wide Accessible India Campaign with details of the campaign along with objectives, targets and deadlines has been prepared.

To access the strategy paper click here: Strategy Paper- Accessible India Campaign

One of the targets under the objective of enhancing the proportion of accessible government buildings is to conduct accessibility audit of 100 most important government buildings and converting them into fully accessible buildings by July, 2016 in the following cities:

(a) Delhi

(b) Ahmedabad

(c) Chennai

(d) Gurgaon

(e) Guwahati

(f) Jaipur

(g) Mumbai

DEPwD invites suggestions/ideas/proposals from individuals/NGOs/ Associations / Civic bodies to identify 100 pubic (government) buildings frequently used by persons with disabilities in the above cities to be converted into fully accessible buildings, which will make the greatest impact on achieving a barrier-free environment that allows free & safe movement, function and access for all, without obstacles, with dignity and with as much independence as possible.

Details of such identified prominent government buildings in the above cities that you want converted into fully accessible buildings may be sent to the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, by e-mail at accessibleindiacampaign@gmail.com as early as possibel or by end of June 2015.

You may also post the photos etc of inaccessible buildings on our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/svayam.india

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Disability Advocates demand access to Bus Depots in Gujarat

Gujrat has taken lead in developing socially inclusive infrastructure like BRT and Metro and the pace of growth is quite remarkable. However, it necessary that the existing bus Q shelters are also retrofitted with barrier free features to enable passengers experiencing disabilities to use these services on an equal basis with others. Also the existing fleet needs to be gradually replaced with accessible buses with proper access from Bus Depots and Q shelters.

Gujarat has set successful examples of Public private Partnership and there is no reason why PPP can be availed to improve accessibility at GRSTC BUS Depts!

regards

Subhash Chandra Vashishth

Click here to read from source

Funds crunch makes GRSTC bus depots disabled-unfriendly
29 Jun 2009, 0049 hrs IST, TNN

Gandhinagar : Of the 125 Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC) bus depots in the state, facilities for the physically-challenged at 104 are missing. A slope which is mandatory at each bus stop to facilitate the differently-abled board the vehicle comfortably is not in place.

GSRTC officials say it is the dearth of funds which a big hurdle in providing such facilities.

The matter was taken up recently by the Disability Advocacy Group during a meeting with RM Patel, principal secretary, labour and employment department, who also holds the additional charge of disabled commissioner. The representatives of the group demanded that there should be an adequate arrangement for the physically-challenged to get into a bus easily and get down from them as well.

During the meeting, PK Patel, chief traffic & commercial manager, said there were slopes at 21 bus depots for the physically-challenged. He added at the remaining 104 depots, there was no provision for slopes and fund crunch was a big hindrance. The commissioner directed GSRTC to allocate funds and set a deadline for making slopes at all these depots.

Pradeep Anjaria, a commuter, said, “The buses are designed in such a manner that it becomes difficult for the physically-challenged to get inside them. The entrance of these buses are L-shaped and hence they cannot board the bus easily.”

He said in absence of a slope, one has to first lift the physically-challenged person and take him on the platform and then take his wheelchair in. They also find it difficult to get into a bus as there is no separate lane for them to board a bus.

Ranjit Gohil, who was present at the meeting, said, “The physically-challenged are provided host of facilities in many countries. But in India, laws are not enforced properly. One needs to ensure implementation of these laws without fail.”

Gohil said the situation of the railways is no better. He has filed a complaint against the railways stating that it does not have any facility for physically-challenged passengers to move from platform 1 to 12. He said there is a slope for entry to platform 1 only. The lifts which are installed at the platforms are mostly out of order, he pointed out.