Social Justice

KEY POINTS

·         According to the 2011 Census People with disability form 2.21% of India’s population.

·         They have had a law for two decades to enable their full participation in society, but successive governments have done little to realise those guarantees.

Universal and Humane system

·         Government should as a first step implement the Supreme Court directive to provide full access to public facilities, such as buildings and transport, within stipulated deadlines.

·         A transformation requires governments to also harness the power of newer technologies.

·         Geo-location is one, and it enables targeted provision of services.

·         It is eminently feasible, for instance, to aggregate the travel requirements of disabled people with the help of information technology and smart phones, and provide affordable shared transport using accessible vehicles.

·         Given the emphasis on smart cities and upgraded urban facilities, such schemes should be given the highest priority and start-up ideas roped in.

·         Railway stations and access to train carriages continue to pose hurdles for not just the disabled, but even elderly travellers.

·         The Railways should embark on an urgent programme to retrofit all stations, and try simple solutions such as portable step ladders to help board and exit trains, since level boarding is not possible in most places.

·         Cost is not the barrier to improving facilities; what is in short supply is the political will to change the design of public facilities and stick to professional codes.

·         The Supreme Court said in a 1998 order on a petition seeking air travel concession, that while cost was a consideration, the true spirit and purpose of the law could not be ignored.

·         Today India, which is richer than it was then, and has passed a new law in 2016 to strengthen the rights of the disabled, should demonstrate the will to implement it.

Universal and Humane System for Differently-abled friendly:

Differently persons are entitled to public buildings, public transports, etc., Largely our infrastructure were not friendly to differently-abled people.

Barriers:

• Unavailability of ramps in Railway stations, non accesibility of Public transports make them dependent on second person.
• Public places should have been accessible considering the differently abled people, although law has been in place, its still not implemented.

What can be done?

• Gwalior Model: 95% of the Gwalior city is accessable by differently-abled people.
• Concession for transport like train, buses, etc.,
• Usage of technology and making available affordable shared transports. Innovative tecniques and start ups should encouraged and supported.
• Tourism friendly: Travel Another India offers Wheelchair vacations for differently abled people.
• Taj Mahal has 9 ramps for differently abled people, this should increased and also implemented in other tourist places.
• Atlast, Political will to implement (Rights of Persons with Different ablities Act, 2016) the needs of differently abled without further directions/interventions from Honourable Supreme Court.

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