PU Launch Disability Access Audit

Chandigarh, February 22, 2019: As part of the endeavour of The Chandigarh Administration to make UT first disabled friendly city, the NSS Volunteers from Panjab University, Chandigarh launched their access audit survey from the Office of the Vice-Chancellor. Their participation in this noble cause was lauded and appreciated by Prof.Raj Kumar Vice-Chancellor, Panjab University in the presence of other dignitaries comprising Prof.Karamjeet Singh, Registrar, Prof.Devinder Singh, SVC, Prof.Shivani and Prof.Harsh Nayyar. He assured full support in making university barrier free. The Programme Coordinator, Dr.Navdeep Sharma shared that “Accessibility has been one of the most neglected issues in the disability sector. The disabled persons in India remain confined to their homes, as attempts to travel, enter buildings, parks, shops, etc, can be unsafe and personally humiliating. Environmental access is a legal entitlement for people with disabilities and should therefore be vigorously enforced. Attitudinal changes have to be brought about among policy makers in the government and private sectors, design professionals, architects, manufacturers”. It was apprised by Dr. Upneet Kaur Mangat, Programme Officer , NSS that the survey will continue for four days in the areas allocated to the PU NSS Volunteers. In span of four days they will audit public infrastructure situated in Sector 14, 15, 25 and 25 West. The audit will be done of University Departments and Offices , Public Facilities, Schools, Religious places, markets, Banks, Health facilities, Transport, Sampark Centres, Public Toilets, Community Centres, Playgrounds, Sports Ground, Parks etc. The audit report of these sectors will be given to the Government Rehabilitation Institute for Intellectual Disability (GRIID), Chandigarh who have been assigned the overall duty to evaluate the accessibility of various facilities for differently abled available in UT. GRID will further submit a detailed report on the basis of data collected by NSS volunteers across UT to Chandigarh Administration so that need based changes as mandated by law can be carried out to make it disabled friendly city.