Accessible India campaign

• Accessible India, Empowered India”,is a scheme aimed at ease of access for persons with disabilities in government buildings and public transport.

• It is the responsibility of the signatories to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to ensure access to persons with disabilities to the physical environment
• “Accessible India Campaign”(Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan), a nationwide campaign that will enable persons with disabilities to gain universal access, equal opportunity for development, independent living and participation in all aspects of life in an inclusive society.
• Under the campaign, atleast 50% of all the government buildings of National Capital and all the State capitals will be made fully accessible for persons with disabilities by July 2018.
• All the international airports in the country and railway stations of A1, A & B categories will be made fully accessible by July 2016.
• As per campaign drafted by Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, atleast 10% of government owned public transport carriers in the country will be converted into fully accessible carriers for these persons by March 2018.
• It will also be ensured that atleast 50% of all public documents issued by the Central Government and the State Governments meet accessibility standards for persons with disabilities by March 2018.

Other measures for disabled

• The Government has also decided to set up a special University for persons with disabilities with the cost of Rs. 1700 crore. It will start functioning with next academic year.
• A web portal and mobile application for creating a crowd sourcing platform to get information about inaccessible was also launched on the occasion.

NCERT to publish tactile books for visually challenged

• Tactile books with maps and diagrams for visually challenged students will become a reality soon with the National Council of Educational Research and Training introducing them in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi.
• The IIT went by the guidelines drawn up by the Braille Authority of North America and the Royal National Institute of Blind People of the U.K., which have had tactile designs for the past 40 years.
• So far, books in Braille had no maps and diagrams.
• The NCERT is seeking suggestions from the States before it can start the process.
• The exercise calls for a special training for teachers
• The idea is to have tactile diagrams for students to get a feel of the maps which uses 3-D printing for mould-making and thermoforming. Though the National Institute for the Visually Handicapped has Braille books and special maps are available, this marks the first foray of the NCERT into tactile books with maps and diagrams
• Official sources put the number of the visually challenged at three crores.