Chandigarh, June 3

No less than an architectural marvel, Pierre Jeanneret’s chequerboard-style Panjab University has apparently failed its disabled students when it comes to accessibility.

The varsity’s buildings fail to comply with the ‘Harmonised Guidelines and Space Standards for Barrier-free built Environment for Persons with Disability and Elderly Persons’ as prescribed by the Ministry of Urban development in 2016. The guidelines include a 16-point Access Audit Checklist.

Also, it has still not sent the compliance report on the implementation of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016. A letter and notification in this regard was sent to the PU Registrar on April 7, 2017, by the University Grants Commission (UGC).

While the university is all set to enrol the upcoming academic batch in 78 teaching departments on a maximum of 7.5 per cent fee hike, there was a significant dip in the number of PwD (persons with disability) students in the present academic session (2018-19) as compared to the last year.

About three months ago, on February 22, as part of the Chandigarh Administration’s endeavour to make UT differently abled-friendly, PU NSS volunteers conducted the first-ever access audit survey of the university, acting on the directions of the PU VC. According to the report, around 95 per cent of the PU campus isn’t accessible to the disabled. In fact, the PU has only one toilet for the physically challenged at the Student Centre and it remains locked most of the time. In Panjab University, the Equal Opportunity Cell-PwD was set up last year and is on the first floor of the USOL Department that has a lift.

Implementation of the Act

Following the directions of the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan), under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, the UGC had sent a letter regarding the implementation of the Right of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016, to the registrars of all Central and state universities on April 7, 2017. The letter stated: “I am directed to circulate the Gazette notification of RPwD Act to your affiliated colleges and sent the compliance report of university, as well as affiliated colleges, within one month.”

After two years, on April 4, 2019, Dr Sanjeev Gautam, coordinator of Equal Opportunity Cell for PwD students, PU, forwarded the UGC letter to the PU Registrar that was marked to the Syndicate for its meeting on May 11 this year. The Syndicate had decided to form a committee to look into the implementation of the RPwD Act, 2016. However, till date, no meeting of the committee has been convened by PU VC Raj Kumar.

Violations galore

The report on ‘Disability Access Audit’ of the PU, which was a project of the UT Administration under the supervision of the Joint Director, Government Rehabilitation Institute for Intellectual Disability (GRID), Chandigarh, revealed glaring irregularities in the infrastructural accessibility of the PU.

The public infrastructure situated on the PU campus in Sector 14 was evaluated on five parameters — wheelchair accessibility, visual signage, auditory information system, handrail, and Braille signage. The report shows that only 5 per cent of the PU campus is disabled-friendly.

When The Tribune correspondent visited university buildings, shocking revelations came to fore. The entrance of ICSSR building has a staircase, not a ramp that leads to its seminar hall. The staircase doesn’t have any railing whatsoever.

Even at the teachers’ flats, there is only a foot-wide ramp that leads to the door and staircases for first and second-floor residents.

Emerging areas in the social sciences building, which includes Centre for Social Work, Human Rights and Duties, Police Administration, Adult and Continuing Education, Women Studies and Fashion Technology Department, there’s no ramp or railing-support for the one-step porch, making it difficult for wheelchairs to enter the building.

There’s no special parking spot for PwDs at the Student Centre and the way to coffee house, ATM and the placement office is hurdled with stairs, steps and uneven surface. Eateries at the Student Centre, too, have stairs and without a railing, leave alone handrails.

A similar situation exists at the University School of Open Learning’s entrance and the Open-Air Stage. There are no ramps leading to the bank and ATM at the university main market — only staircases and iron-barred entrances. Even entry to the Administrative Block is only through stairs without railings. The scenario at the Admin Block SBI fee counter, enquiry counter, post office and AC Joshi Library is no different.

Most of the departments at the PU don’t have ramps and only stairs. There are no signage, railings, handrails, separate toilets or lifts in these departments. The doors, most of the doors at these departments are half-shut, making it difficult to walk through.

UGC guidelines regarding facilities at institute 

• Establishment of special units for differently-abled persons in universities/colleges
• The special unit to coordinated by a faculty member to be nominated by the head of the institution.
• Appointment of one honorary placement officer for the special unit from amongst the faculty members of the university.
• The coordinator and the placement officer will be assisted by a team of three student volunteers, who will be paid a stipend of Rs 1,000 each per month. The unit will also have a budgetary provision of Rs 30,000 per annum.
• The disability unit will also be involved in arranging awareness programmes on disabilities within the institute and also in other higher education institutes in their respective states. A budgetary provision of Rs 20,000 per unit per year will be made by the UGC.
• Providing Access to Persons with Disabilities. For this purpose, the UGC will make a one-time grant of up to Rs 5 lakh per university/college.
• Providing Special Equipment to Augment Educational Services for Differentlyabled  Persons, including low-vision aids, scanners, mobility devices, etc. The UGC  will provide an ad hoc one-time grant of up to Rs 3 lakh per university/college during the Tenth Plan period.

Access Audit Checklist: Where PU lags behind

• Main entrance: There are either steps, or staircases. No handrail on both sides or railings and handles. Height of door handle is not between 80 mm and 100 mm and entrance doesn’t have access to elevator.  
• Ramps: Most facades don’t have ramps, even if they do, there are no railings for support.
• Parking: There’s no special parking for PwD students at the Student Centre 
• Reception and information counters: There’s one Equal Opportunity Cell of PwD students which shares a room with Equal Opportunity Cell of SC/ST students
• Doors: Most doors remain half-shut and make it difficult for wheelchairs to enter.
• Corridors: In most departments the corridors are narrow, making it difficult to manoeuvre one’s way to the classrooms along the passage, especially on a wheelchair
• Lifts: Except for Admin Block, there are no lifts in PU. One has to go through staircases 
• Stairs: Spiral staircases with big steps and no handrails make it difficult to commute.
• Handrails: There are no handrails along the railings on stairs 
• Toilets: Even the Department of Community Education and Disability Studies doesn’t have a disabled-friendly toilet. The only one at the Student Centre usually remains closed. 
• Canteen: No separate canteen for PwD students on the campus
• Drinking water: Most water coolers are positioned at a lower height to accommodate PwD
• Signages: None 
• Emergency exits: Most emergency exit doors were found locked.
• Public telephones: None
• Resting facilities: None.

What officials say

When the committee was formed, I had sent a letter for the acceptance of the RPwD Act. Whenever a meeting is held, we’ll modify the PU rules and regulations as per the UGC guidelines. This year, we are adopting a 5 per cent reservation for admission of physically challenged people. Their tuition and hostel fee is also being exempted. We are also giving four per cent reservation to the PwD students in job placement.” Dr Gautam shared that in 2018-19, the PU had only 65 PwD students, “whereas in 2017-18, the university had about 90”. He said: “This year, we have received a budget of Rs 21 lakh for the EOC-PwD. — Dr Sanjeev Gautam, Coordinator, EOC-PwD of the PU 

Accessibility for differently abled is more than just making ramps. The elements covered in access audit included getting to the premises, getting into premises, getting around the premises, using services in the premises and getting out of the building in an emergency. — Prof Upneet Kaur, Department of Social Work, PU
Source: https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/chandigarh/nothing-special-for-students-with-special-needs/782746.html