Centre, states asked to speed up disabled-friendly works under Accessible India campaign

The Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry has asked officials of the central and state governments to speed up infrastructure-related works in public places for the benefit of the differently abled in view of the March, 2020 deadline set under the Accessible India campaign. As per sections 44 and 45 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016, all existing and new public buildings have to follow accessibility standards notified on June 15, 2017.

Officials said a Central Advisory Board, headed by Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thawarchand Gehlot, is monitoring the works and the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities is coordinating with various implementing agencies including the state governments. "We hope to meet the March, 2020 deadline and instructions have been given down the level to speed up the works," an official said, adding that "due to slow progress" of the works under the Accessible India campaign, new deadlines have been fixed since 2017.

Existing buildings have five years' time from the implementation of the law in June, 2017 to ensure easy accessibility for the differently abled. To enable such access at railway stations, the railways is prioritising works at stations based on their category, passenger footfall and earnings from those stations.

Short-term facilities at railway stations include provision of standard ramps, non-slippery walkways from parking lots to the station buildings, at least two designated parking lots for the disabled, signages, disabled-friendly toilets and help desks. The long-term facilities include providing facilities for inter-platform transfer and engraving on platform edges.

Sources said the CPWD has made 215 buildings of the central government, maintained by it in various cities, accessible for the disabled. In all, Rs 354.45 crore has been spent on making 1,058 public buildings (including those of state governments) accessible to the differently abled.

Officials added that out of 1,45,287 buses operated by the state governments and union territories, 77 of the 1,15,433 buses on intercity routes are 'fully accessible with wheel chair' (FAWC) and in urban areas 5,167 of 29,854 buses are FAWC. In Delhi, 3,781 of the 5,475 DTC buses are FAWC. It is followed by 1,217 (out of 6,717) buses operated in urban areas in Karnataka, 157 (of 6,598) in Maharashtra, 10 ( of 4,362) in Tamil Nadu and two (of 46) buses are FAWC in Goa's urban areas.

In the air travel sector, 35 international airports and 55 domestic airports have been provided with features easily accessible for the disabled. Similarly, 336 websites of the state governments and 95 out of 100 websites of the central government have been made disabled friendly, sources added.

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