When Mr Narendra Modi gave the slogan of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' during his 2014 election campaign, it was assumed that his inclusive governance pitch referred to religious minorities and backward castes. Few would have imagined that the call would also be extended to the differently-abled who, unfortunately, continue to languish on the periphery of public consciousness. On December 3, the Government will be launching the Accessible India Campaign, also known as the Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan — a nationwide drive towards achieving universal accessibility so that all persons, including those with special needs, have access to equal opportunities across the socio-economic spectrum, from education to employment.

The aim is not only to ensure that the differently-abled are no longer dependent on others but also to pave the way for their full participation in life and society, so that they too can be more productive members. If successful, the campaign has the potential to turn upside down the sad notion of a differently-abled person being a life-long burden. It has long since been established that, while the differently-abled have limitations in one part, they more than make up for it through enhanced abilities in other areas. For example, those with low or no vision generally have a more evolved sense of sound and smell. If society does its part and puts in place the infrastructure to accommodate them, the differently-abled will be just as ‘functional' as the man next to him.

This, of course, is not a one-point agenda but a multi-pronged, multi-sectoral effort that has to be activated at several levels, from ensuring physical access (ramps and lifts in buildings) to access to services (emergency services such as Dial 100) to the availability of assistive aids and appliances to bringing about enabling rules and regulations, and promoting social awareness. For now, the Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan will focus on improving accessibility in three sectors: Environment, transportation and communication.

In the first case, it is expected that there will be a focus on making Government offices, schools, hospitals and other public spaces more accessible by removing architectural barriers and also making it compulsory to include specific structures such as entry ramps and wide-door washrooms with supportive railings that can accommodate wheelchairs. In the second case, initiatives will be taken to make buses, trains and planes as well as roads, stations and ports more accessible. In the third case, the aim will be to ensure that the differently-abled are not shut out from the rest of the world because they cannot use today's communication devices. Hence, we should expect to see, for example, a special emphasis on audio devices that can help the visually-impaired use computers and smart phones. Technology developed specifically for the differently-abled will play a big role here; it can, in fact, become an industry in itself.

Source: http://www.dailypioneer.com/columnists/edit/needed-more-sensitivity.html