Organisations, both private and public in the country, too will be soon rated on how disabled-friendly and barrier-free they are.
A toolkit “Inclusiveness and Accessibility Index” to assess and benchmark the organisations on accessibility and inclusiveness will be jointly launched by Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thaawar Chand Gehlot and Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu at an event on Wednesday.
A first-of-its kind index measuring social contribution of organisations aiming to empower people with disabilities, it is the part of the Government’s “Accessible India Campaign” (Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan), said a senior official from the Social Jutsice and Empowerment Ministry said.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on December 3 last year on the occasion of the World Disability Day had launched the Accessible India programme that aims to make hundreds of government buildings, railway stations and airports accessible to people with physical disabilities by next year.
Drawing from the AIP, the “Inclusiveness and Accessibility toolkit has been developed by the business chamber, FICCI in collaboration with the Ministry and stakeholders in the sector.
Accessible Index is to serve as a tool to assess the extent to which the processes and systems of an organisation are aligned to ensure independent, dignified and positive dealing with employees and clients with disabilities, said a senior official from the Ministry on the condition of anonymity.
The move follows concerns 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.
The Index will be like a score board of a child or say a self assessment tool, said the official, giving credits to organizations for ensuring disabled-friendly environment and jobs to the people from the sector, investment in their training and career development, on the basis of providing jobs to disabled women. As an incentive, the organisations will also be rewarded and recognised by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities under the Ministry.