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FE : Barrier-free universal design is the need of the hour : Oct 7 ,2007 CORPORATE VOICE - 'Barrier-free universal design is the need of the hour' SMINU JINDAL I NDIA is making significant headway in terms of creating awareness about the need for integrated infrastructure to meet the needs of society in its entirety, especially for those with special needs. With this growing sensitivity and realisation, it is an ideal time to address issues related to barrier-free accessible public infrastructure. Barrier-free universal design is the need of the hour especially in countries like India, where there is a large ageing population. The very expanse of the nation and the size of the population make the task of incorporating barrier-free universal design features in the built environment daunting, despite the best of intentions. Low awareness levels, lack of trained manpower in the field and monitoring the implementation of various laws, rules, regulations and schemes further add to the woes. Towards the cause is our organisation, Svayam, which has been dedicated to the cause of disability - taking up issues related to barrier-free, accessible public infrastructure and creating a conducive environment for people with lim ited mobility - for the past few years. Svayam saw the light of day through its portal commissioned in 2001. It powers a one-stop information portal for people with disabilities and offers consultancy in access auditing, appraisal and implementation of access strategies, focused training modules to better equip organisations integrate the disabled into the mainstream, orientation courses in inclusive environment, access audit training and in hosting workshops on communicating with the disabled. Svayam aims at not only generating awareness about the trials and tribulations of reduced mobility-challenged populace (including elderly, expecting women, mothers with new-born babies, tod dlers and the physically challenged), but also moulds opinions of public and policymakers in favour of public-private participation in providing accessibility solutions. Disability is a part and parcel of the able-bodied routine life that makes daily chores challenging, but today, society offers such people the opportunity to carry out routine chores with the aid of small innovations. In the case of the conventionally challenged, society is less accommodative. So much so, that basic amenities too are hard to come by and there is even discrimination in design. Be it public places, homes, or workplaces, design is an issue that the government, town planners or even architects have been ignoring. It is not only the physically handicapped, but also the elderly who are dealing with the day-to-day ordeal of inaccessibility. The worstcase scenario is when the elderly who have led active lives are reduced to being dependent on others to meet daily needs. Civic authorities have failed to provide the burgeoning grey population their right to live with dignity and independence that they cherished and fought for all their active lives. More and more people today are being alienated by the sheer inability of the so-called able bodied, who take their bodies for granted. What is needed is the integration of this section of society into the mainstream as we accept those with minor functional drawbacks. This is where Svayam steps in - to fill in the gap by way of undertaking audits, identifying problem areas, developing strategies to overcome the same as per international standards of accessibility and universal design and handhold the implementation process to ensure accurate execution so that those who are needy benefit. Till date Svayam has been invited by Government Civic Agencies like the New Delhi Municipal Corporation as Access Consultants and the education ministry, Government of Delhi, to make its public conven iences and schools accessible and barrier-free. Svayam is also the Access Consultant to Archeological Society of India (ASI) and has so far undertaken access audits for the heritage site of Qutab Minar. The ASI further invited Svayam to help them understand and make the World Heritage sites in Delhi, Agra and Goa barrier-free. We have also been involved in motivating corporate houses and hospitality giants like ITC and Hyatt to incorporate accessibility in their environment. There should be constant interaction and dialogue with other NGOs working in the field of disability. Our objective is to try and make India accessible to all. And we would urge more and more people to come forth to support the cause. (Sminu Jindal is MD, Jindal SAW Ltd) Publication : Financial Express; Section : Corporate Citizen; Pg : 4; Date : 7/10/07 URL : http://70.86.150.130/financialexpress/ArticleText.aspx?article=07_10_2007_004_003 |
| Also see : Corporate Social Responsibility |
