New Delhi, Dec 1: With a view to ensuring ease of access for persons with disabilities (PwDs) in government buildings, public transportation and the information technology field, the Centre has planned a nationwide flagship ‘Accessible India Campaign’ which is set to be launched by Prime Minster Narendra Modi on December 3 to coincide with ‘International Day of Persons with Disabilities.’ .
The prime minister will also present awards to individuals/organisations for “outstanding” contributions towards the empowerment of PwDs during an event on the same day.
As part of “inclusive” activities that it is undertaking in order to empower PwDs, the government will in the run up to the launch of the campaign also hold an international film festival — which is being billed as the first of its kind — to showcase movies dealing with the lives of PwDs.
Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment, Thaawar Chand Gehlot, will inaugurate the three-day film festival, at Siri Fort auditorium here.
Lov Verma, secretary of the ministry’s department of persons with disabilities, told reporters that the ministry has taken various important parameters into consideration and involved all important stakeholders for taking this campaign forward,
He said that, under the ‘built environment’ vertical, the government intends to audit and convert at least 50 “most- important” government buildings in 26 cities, including in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Bengaluru, into “fully accessible” buildings by July, 2016.
The government further aims to convert 50 per cent of all government buildings in the national and state capitals into “fully accessible” structures by July, 2018.
The department has also decided to audit 50 per cent of government buildings in 10 most important cities/towns of all states (other than those already covered) and make them “fully accessible
