Accessibility Deficit in Chandigarh's State Commission for Persons with Disabilities

Strategic Insights -

The State Commission for Persons with Disabilities in Chandigarh is supposed to provide justice to disabled individuals, but its office, situated on the first floor of a building in Sector 18, lacks basic accessibility features such as a lift or ramp. The commission, responsible for ensuring the effective implementation of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016, is itself flouting the very law it is meant to uphold. Despite the RPwD Act's mandate for physical infrastructure accessibility, the commission's office remains inaccessible to persons with disabilities. The issue has been raised by visitors, including a commissioner who has written to the social welfare department and the administrator to address the matter.

Key Takeaways:

  • The State Commission for Persons with Disabilities in Chandigarh has no lift or ramp, violating the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016, which mandates accessibility of physical infrastructure.
  • The commission, responsible for quasi-judicial powers, has listed as many as 50 cases in the past nine months, with about 60% being settled.
  • Commissioner Madhvi Kataria has written to the social welfare department and the administrator to either bring the office to the ground floor or make accessibility provisions.
  • The office's structure is not friendly for persons with visual, hearing, and speech disabilities, lacking tactile tiles, sign language, and braille boards.
  • National Association for the Blind's executive member Shiv Kumar and LLB student Navpreet Ganga have expressed their concerns about the office's inaccessibility.
  • The RPwD Rules, 2017, have framed Harmonised Guidelines for Universal Accessibility, which the commission's office fails to adhere to, including braille/tactile features, wayfinding signages, and color contrast.

Statistics:

  • 50 cases listed in the past nine months in the commission with about 60% being settled
  • 21 types of disabilities specified in the RPwD Act, 2016
  • 60% of cases settled in the past nine months
  • 9 months duration for which case listings and settlements are available

Sources:

  • HT Digital Content Services
  • HT Chandigarh
  • Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016
  • RPwD Rules, 2017
  • Supreme Court directions to states to appoint commissioners for persons with disabilities
  • Chandigarh Right to Service Commission