A good initiative. Unless something can be measured, it hardly has anything impact.
However, I am afraid accessibility is often touted for physically challenged. Accessibility for sensorily challenged like blind and deaf is subtle and does not figure adequately in policy makers minds. सादर / With thanks & Regards राजेश आसुदानी Rajesh Asudani सहायक महाप्रबन्धक AGM बाजार आसूचना ईकाई MIU भारतीय रिजर्व बैंक Reserve Bank of India नागपुर Nagpur 0712 2806846 President VIBEWA Co-Moderator VIB-India A-pilll = Action coupled with Positivity, Interest, Love, Logic and laughter. -----Original Message----- From: AccessIndia [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of avinash shahi Sent: Thursday, October 22, 2015 1:22 PM To: accessindia Subject: [AI] Economic Times Editorial: Why government’s Accessible India campaign is an excellent idea 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.. Caution: The Reserve Bank of India never sends mails, SMSs or makes calls asking for personal information such as your bank account details, passwords, etc. It never keeps or offers funds to anyone. Please do not respond in any manner to such offers, however official or attractive they may look. Notice: This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you are not the intended recipient, any dissemination, use, review, distribution, printing or copying of the information contained in this e-mail message and/or attachments to it are strictly prohibited. If you have received this email by error, please notify us by return e-mail or telephone and immediately and permanently delete the message and any attachments. The recipient should check this email and any attachments for the presence of viruses. The Reserve Bank of India accepts no liability for any damage caused by any virus transmitted by this email. 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..
