Over 70% Of Govt Schools Made Disabled-FriendlyIn Last 6 Years Across India: Ministry Data

Over 70% Of Govt Schools Made Disabled-Friendly In Last 6 Years Across India: Ministry Data

 According to the central government’s Accessible Indian Campaign (AIC), these schools have been made barrier-free with provisions of ramps, accessible toilets and handrails for differently-abled students.

 More than 70 per cent of the total 11.68 lakh government and government-aided schools have been made disabled-friendly across India over the last six years. 

According to the central government’s Accessible Indian Campaign (AIC), these schools have been made barrier-free with provisions of ramps, accessible toilets and handrails for differently-abled students. As per the data collected under AIC, more than 585 buildings of the states, Union Territories and 1,030 central government buildings have been made accessible for such students.

 Accessible Indian Campaign (AIC) Launched in 2015, AIC or Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan aims to achieve universal accessibility for individuals with disabilities in transport systems, information and technology (IT) ecosystem, and built environments. The scheme’s achievements are set to be reviewed later this month,

 Under the AIC scheme, the central government provided grants to states and UTs to hold audibility accessibility audits and make only identified public places fully accessible in built-up environments for differently-abled people.

 Domestic Airports Made Barrier-Free 

The data available with the department of empowerment of persons with a disability under the ministry of social justice reveals that 35 of the total 55 domestic airports have been made barrier-free with special provisions. 

However, AIC still seems to have a long way to go when it comes to road and rail transport. While only 5.7 per cent of the total busses have been made fully barrier-free, only 709 A1, A and B category railway stations have achieved the status. 

The achievements and future of AIC are set to be revived by the Central Advisory Board (CAB), the apex consulting and advisory body on disability matters under the Right of Person With Disabilities Act 2016. The CAB is headed by the Union Minister for Social Justice, a position currently held by Virendra Singh. 

AIC was slated to achieve its aim for public buildings by June this year. However, the deadline is likely to be extended when the CAB meets on June 24. The status reports from various state governments, and other ministries will be discussed before taking the final call.