City government buildings not disabled-friendly
Times of India: With December 3 being observed as World Disability Day, a survey done by nine law students in the city yet again draws attention to the fact that, despite the compulsory norms stated in the Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995, most government buildings yet do not have full-fledged barrier-free architecture for the physically disabled.
The law students, interning under human rights lawyer Asim Sarode, were given the rounds of all the government office buildings in the city, like the courts in Shivajinagar, zilla parishad office, Shivajinagar bus depot, provident fund office, All India Radio commissioner of police’s office and the Pune Municipal Corporation, among others.
“The Persons with Disabilities Act, which is meant for the development and rehabilitation of the physically-disabled, exists only on paper. In Maharashtra, the Act has become a legislation since 2000, but till date, not much has been done for the actual development and rehabilitation of the physically-disabled,” said W N Tungar, who had taken the students along. Tungar runs a school for special children in Pune.
As per the team’s observation, whatever barrier-free facilities exist at these public offices, are not of much use. “There are ramps for the physically-disabled in some parts of the court, but there are no lifts to access the upper floors. The Shivajinagar bus depot has a ramp at one of the entrances, but the Swargate bus stand has none,” said a first-year law student, Sachin Priyadarshi.
“Despite the legislation, 80 per cent of the government and semi-government buildings are not disabled-friendly and the remaining are partly disabled-friendly,” said Sarode, who handled at least five cases related to grievances of physically-disabled in the last one year. Signboards in sign language and Braille, wheelchairs and other facilities are a must in bringing about change, Sarode said.
V A Iyer, a lawyer who has handled some of these cases with Sarode, said lack of public awareness was a major hindrance. “There was a case of a disabled man who requested a lift be fitted in his apartment building to which the other residents opposed thoroughly. An appeal by other flat owners, who have been opposing him, is now pending in the Bombay high court. People should be made aware of the problems the physically-disabled face,” Iyer said
Tungar also pointed out that, as per the legislation, three per cent of the physically-disabled have to be employed in government offices. “However, currently there are some 1,665 vacancies remaining in various government departments all over the state which have not been filled. Out of these, Pune alone has some 1,000 vacancies,” Tungar said.
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