http://blogs.economictimes.indiatimes.com/et-editorials/why-governments-accessible-india-campaign-is-an-excellent-idea/ The government’s plan to rate public and private companies for disabled-friendly initiatives as part of the ‘Accessible India’ campaign is an excellent idea. Hiring policies in India are generally skewed against disabled people. So, such a ‘policy corrective’ can be a great catalyst to establish a more level-playing ground. The proposed index will reward companies that are differently-abled-friendly by giving them credits for initiatives. This is welcome. Apart from HR policies, physical infrastructure — which includes office buildings and public transport — should also be made accessible to differently-abled people. The government must retrofit the Accessible India campaign to its ‘smart cities’ plan. The US has set stringent technical standards on infrastructure for the disabled, ranging from the slope of a ramp to the height of a bathroom basin. The intent — to remove any barrier to the “full and equal enjoyment” for their goods and services — is unquestionable. The Americans with Disabilities Act also bars companies from discriminating against employees with disabilities. India enacted the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act in 1995. But its enforcement has been weak. Having ratified the UN convention on the rights of persons with disabilities back in 2007, the government should now swiftly adopt the new, more robust law that guarantees the rights of disabled persons. And enforcement must be stringent, with society sensitised to their needs. State governments must chip in, too.
-- Avinash Shahi Doctoral student at Centre for Law and Governance JNU Register at the dedicated AccessIndia list for discussing accessibility of mobile phones / Tabs on: http://mail.accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/mobile.accessindia_accessindia.org.in Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ To unsubscribe send a message to [email protected] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in Disclaimer: 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails sent through this mailing list..
