Sugamya Bharat Abhiyaan

Lack of proper physical infrastructure affects each and every one of our lives. From slow moving traffic to long que in reservation every thing takes precious time and energy of those involved in it. Public transport in country is highly overcrowded for even a person who does not have a physical disability. Situation becomes much more difficult for a person with disability. They have to face the problem of poor infrastructure with the problem they have already. Everyone becomes physically disabled at some stage in their lives. A person with a broken leg, a child, a mother with a pram, an elderly gentleman etc. are all disabled in some way or another. Thus, Needs of the disabled coincide with the needs of majority, but disabled persons needs enhanced much more than the people with out disability. As such, designing the facilities for the majority implies designing and planning for people with varying abilities and disabilities.

One of the most important ideals of India and our constitution is that everyone should live together with provision for positive discrimination for those who are in need of it. Ideally, a disabled person should be able to commute between home, work place and other destinations with independence, convenience and safety. This independence, sfety and convenience will help in integrating the persons with disability to the mainstream of the society.

For Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) universal accessibility is critical for enabling them to gain access for equal opportunity and live independently and participate fully in all aspects of life in an inclusive society. Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995 under sections 44, 45 land 46 categorically provides for:

• non-discrimination in transport;
• non-discrimination on the road and
• non-discrimination in built environment respectively.

India is also a signatory to United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), Article 9 UNCRPD casts obligations on the Governments for ensuring to Persons with disability (PwDs) accessibility to

(a) Information;
(b) Transportation;
(c) Physical Environment;
(d) Communication Technology and
(e) Accessibility to Services as well as emergency services.

Governments of United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) region gathered in Incheon, Republic of Korea in 2012 and adopted the Incheon Strategy to “Make the Rights Real” for persons with disabilities in Asia and the Pacific. The Incheon Strategy builds on the UNCRPD and provides the first regionally agreed disability inclusive “Development Goals”. Goal No. 3 of the Incheon Strategy mentions that access to the physical environment, public transportation, knowledge, information and communication is a pre-condition for persons with disabilities to fulfill their rights in an inclusive society. This strategy went on to say that safety and ease of use not only for persons with disabilities, but also for all other members of the society.

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