Dear All
This report was published in 2010 <http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/shastri-bhavan-an-obstacle-fo r-disabled-says-report/> in Indian Express <http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/shastri-bhavan-an-obstacle-fo r-disabled-says-report/> which was done by Samarthyam <http://www.samarthyam.com/> for the Ministry of Urban Development <http://www.urbanindia.nic.in/theministry/ministry_page.htm> . I would be happy to know the experiences of those who have visited Shastri Bhawan recently that how do they find this building which houses 24 government departments on accessibility parameter. Responses can be directly E-mailed to ([email protected]) You are not given any objective questionnaires and you are free to share your subjective experiences. However, please do share your experiences of How staff behaved, Braille/audio assistance available in the building. Hoping for responses till 5th June 2014. Read this report There are more barriers in government buildings than the endless red tape. An access audit report prepared by Samarthyam,the research wing of the National Centre for Accessible Environments,has found that Shastri Bhavan,which houses several Union ministries,is particularly inaccessible to the disabled. As a part of the Union Urban Development Ministry's action plan to make all government buildings barrier-free for disabled persons and the elderly,Samarthyam has been asked to conduct access audits in all government buildings. Shastri Bhavan,which according to the report receives approximately 25,000 visitors and 10,000 working staff every day,is among the 24 government buildings surveyed so far. According to the report,Shastri Bhavan does not have separate gates for vehicular and pedestrian movement,endangering pedestrian safety especially for vulnerable groups such as the elderly,persons with reduced mobility and persons with disabilities. There are very few directional sign boards and none in Braille. The Samarthyam team found vehicles parked in front of the ramps along the building despite no parking signs,plus there are no reserved parking spots for the disabled and elderly. The team also found that steps "do not have handrails making it difficult for persons using mobility aids such as sticks and crutches" and in some areas there were no ramps for wheelchair users. "Glazed tile flooring was observed on some floors which is slippery and hazardous for persons with reduced mobility," says the report. The team further found inter-connecting corridors were not being maintained and that directional signages inside the building were placed in inconspicuous areas and also difficult to read. "Most buildings we have surveyed lack basic features which can make them accessible. Just having ramps does not make a building accessible,if they can just enter the buildings and not use any of its facilities. Most government buildings don't have Braille signages,have slippery floors and need to come up with an emergency evacuation system in which disabled persons can also be saved," says Anjlee Agarwal of Samarthyam. However,Agarwal says Vigyan Bhavan,Nirman Bhavan,Krishi Bhavan,the National Museum and the National Archives building "have done well". "The facilities they provide are good and they continue to do excellent work. We have surveyed both private and government buildings in the past and have found that even in private buildings,only those which actually employ disabled persons are disabled-friendly and provide access," she said. to help us personalise your reading experience.Samarthyam will be conducting the access audit in a total of 50 government buildings in the city. WHAT THE ACT SAYS The persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities,Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act 1995 requires that persons with disabilities and the elderly be provided a barrier-free environment. The GoM on Equal Opportunities for differently abled persons has also recommended that the "Central Government should act as a role model in creating a barrier-free environment in its buildings". --- Avinash Shahi M.Phil Research Scholar Centre for The Study of Law and Governance Jawaharlal Nehru University New Delhi India 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..
