Today, as we observe the International Day of Persons With Disabilities, The Quint hopes that India actualises fully accessible and safe pedestrian environments for people with disabilities.
The Persons with Disabilities Act was passed in 1995, but 20 years down the line, we are yet to see a fully accessible and a safe pedestrian environment for people with disabilities on Indian roads. Uneven paths, stairs, inadequate spacing of bollards, narrow passages, etc pose as hurdles for those with disability.
Fifteen per cent of India’s population has some form of disability, and full inclusion and equal participation of persons with disabilities is absolutely necessary. A disabled person should be able to commute between home, market, work place and other destinations conveniently and safely. The more they are able to access physical facilities, the more they will be part of the social environment.
Accessible India Campaign is a nationwide campaign that works towards achieving universal accessibility for all citizens, including persons with disabilities. The aim of the campaign is to make 100 buildings fully accessible to the disabled, in every capital city by 2016.
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