If not a smart city, Bengaluru can at least aim to be an accessible city for those with disabilities.
With hundreds of government buildings imposing a challenge for those with physical disabilities, the city will be featured in the ‘Accessible India’ programme envisioned by the Centre.
Lov Verma, Secretary, Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, said around 50 cities would be chosen for the scheme, and Bengaluru would be featured as an ‘A’ city. “Depending on the proposals from the State, disability audits will be conducted for 50 to 100 buildings. Funds will be given to ensure infrastructure is disabled-friendly. The long-term goal is to make buildings, transport and even websites more accessible,” he said at the conference of Engage Ability here on Friday.
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He said the base work for the programme had been done and would be launched shortly. “The State governments should send proposals, for which we will provide auditors to gauge and can even grant funds under the Centre’s SIPDA (Scheme for Implementation of Persons with Disabilities Act) programme,” he said.
The need for such a programme in the State is seen in the regular accessibility audits conducted by the Commission for Disabilities. K. Rajanna, Disabilities Commissioner, said barely 30 per cent of the government buildings were accessible for the disabled.
In an access audit in 2012, even the Vidhana Soudha was deemed to be disabled-unfriendly, while recently, an audit in Bangalore University pointed to the need for ramps and lifts in the campus.
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Private buildings While the commission had recently directed more than 200 government departments to submit a list of buildings and steps taken to ensure a disabled-friendly atmosphere, Mr. Rajanna said there was a need to ensure compulsory access audits of private buildings too. “Big private establishments may have some facilities, but most commercial places and even ATMs are inaccessible to those with disabilities. We are awaiting a reply to our request to the Chief Secretary to allow us to take action against private buildings too,” he said.