Soon, all UT offices to be made disabled-friendly

Ramkrishan Upadhyay

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 21

UT Adviser Parimal Rai has directed the Engineering Department to conduct an accessibility audit of all Government buildings to make them disabled-friendly and barrier free.

Sources said Rai asked Chief Engineer Mukesh Anand to begin a survey and provide all necessary changes to make all government buildings disabled-friendly in a phased manner.

The sources said the direction was issued after it came to the notice of the Adviser that persons with disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act 1951 were not being followed in its letter and spirit which provided disabled-friendly and barrier-free environment in public places and government offices.

He said that ramps or lifts should be provided wherever they were required in government buildings.

Sachin Sharma, Chairman of the Youth Innovative Society, Chandigarh, welcomed the direction of the Adviser and said that besides the buildings the parks should also be made disabled friendly.

“ A large number of differently-abled people in the city are not able to make use of parks and green belts as these have not been made to suit their needs.” he said.

He said almost all parks and green belts, situated in the residential areas of the city were not in keeping with the needs of the differently abled and they were left with no option but to make use of roadside areas.

Pawan Agrawal, working for their rights, said, “Till date the Municipal Corporation had failed to look into the issue. People who are deaf or dumb find it even more difficult to avail of any public service.

Same is the case with the blind as there are no brailes fitted anywhere. Those who are wheelchair-bound still have no reasons to cheer either.”