Disability Rights Activist Highlights Inaccessibility Of Disable-Friendly Structures In Delhi; Tweet Sparks Debate

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The Logical Indian Crew

Disability Rights Activist Highlights Inaccessibility Of Disable-Friendly Structures In Delhi; Tweet Sparks Debate

A tweet by Dr Satendra Singh shed light on how the country continues to be largely inaccessible for people with disabilities despite a large population having voiced their woes with the infrastructure.

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Universal accessibility is considered essential for the growth of the country as a whole. In India, disability rights activists have advocated time and again for accessible infrastructure in public places. Their plight continues to pose a major question as even the existing disabled-friendly structures fail due to a lack of proper maintenance or improper architecture. Executing the simplest tasks becomes a challenge to many people with disabilities, as the country's infrastructure, from roads to public transport, does not accommodate their needs.

Accessibility: A Never-Ending Concern

Talking about this issue, disability rights activist Dr Satendra Singh took to Twitter on January 4 and shared a video that showed the difficulty in using the disabled-friendly ramps set in parts of the country. The ramp located at a popular food joint had a high ramp and was enclosed at the top. Captioning the video, Singh wrote, "People only have physical impairments, but it's the society that makes us "disabled" by its infrastructural barriers. Look at the slope, or Mt Everest in the name of the ramp at Hira Sweets, Vrindavan, which even people with "divine abilities" cannot climb."

Singh, a professor of physiology at the University College of Medical Sciences in Delhi and organisational head of 'Doctors with Disabilities: Agents of Change,' took the difficulties faced by PwD every day to the social media platform to help people understand better. The growth of many PwD gets barred to a great extent due to a lack of upgrades or advancements in the system for the disabled.

Reactions And Reflections

The Indian infrastructure in most places is not disabled-friendly. Assistive technology, which aids a range of disabilities, cannot be located in the majority of public infrastructure in the country. Singh's post tagging the Uttar Pradesh Government and Chief Minister garnered over 6,700 views and reactions from hundreds. Adding on to the infrastructural woes of PwD, a user named Reeti Mahobe commented, "The gradient for ramps should be ideally in the ratio of 1:12. Have seen such steep ramps at some govt schools in a state. Then, there are no handrails in a prescribed accessible friendly format." Yet another user who's differently abled commented, "This is something I face every day. Not one building, not one government establishment, not one private business enterprise is sensitive enough to be completely disabled friendly."

Speaking of how the facilities have not been made with standard criteria in mind, Shipra Trivedi wrote, "These ramps are never made keeping the ease of access for people who need it actually. In our country, accessibility is still an alien thing sadly!" Adding on to it, Ayushmita Samal wrote, "The ramp near Dilli Haat in Delhi. I, with no physical disability, won't try to walk on it.. such a terrible state of affairs."

According to several surveys, less than 15 per cent of architects are fully aware of accessible designs and infrastructure in the country. Despite the National building code (NBC) making it mandatory for spaces such as airports and railway stations to become accessible to the disabled, many structures falter on these grounds as there is no mandate related to the same.

With a workforce of more than 80 million PwD, India is among the countries with one of the largest populations of PwD. According to a World Bank report, one in twelve households in India has a disabled person. Losing out on their contributions marks a downward graph in terms of human resources and also in creating equal opportunities. It then becomes crucial for the country to employ structures that enable them equal access to resources.

On International Day for People with Disabilities 2021, many advocates for disability rights called for the urgent redressal of many buildings, even within tier 1 and 2 cities. According to a report by the New Indian Express, the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act of 2016 had set a timeline of five years to make all existing public buildings accessible to individuals. However, out of the total 2,839 buildings, only 585 state buildings and 1,030 central government buildings were said to be made barrier-free for the disabled.

Visiting government offices continues to be a nightmare for many PwD, and despite the many measures set in place, it continues to be a challenge. Earlier the government had launched the Sugamya Bharat app, which provides a platform for people to voice and register complaints regarding accessibility in buildings, transport, or any infrastructure by uploading pictures of the same. A report in 2021 suggested that around half of the complaints registered are pending to be resolved. Among the States and Union Territories that received the highest number of complaints were Gujarat and Delhi.

Also Read: My Story: 'There Were Very Little Facilities Available For People With Disabilities Like Me, So I Decided To Change That'

Contributors Suggest Correction
Writer : Laxmi Mohan Kumar
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Editor : Jayali Wavhal
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Creatives : Laxmi Mohan Kumar

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