Context:

• Accessible India Campaign (AIC), the flagship programme of Government of India for persons with disabilities, completed 9 years on 3 December 2024.

Key Points:

• ‘Accessible India Campaign’ was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 3 December 2015 on the occasion of International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
• It is a nationwide campaign of the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
• Based on the vision of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas”, the campaign aimed to ensure universal access in three critical areas-

1. Built infrastructure
2. Transport system
3. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) ecosystem

Achievements of the Campaign:

• Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan has achieved significant milestones in creating an inclusive environment for persons with disabilities over the last nine years, including improvements in built infrastructure, transportation, digital platforms, education and media access.

Accessible Infrastructure -

• Accessibility of 1,671 government buildings under the target of auditing 25-50 buildings in 50 cities
• Funds of Rs 562 crore released for renovation of 1,314 buildings

Transport -

• All 35 international airports and 55 of the 69 domestic airports now have ramps, accessible toilets, helpdesks and lifts with Braille and hearing aids.
• Aerobridges provided at all international/customs airports
• 3,120 out of 3,533 bus stations in 24 States/UTs equipped with accessibility features
• 709 railway stations made fully accessible, while 4,068 stations made partially accessible.

Digital Accessibility -

• 95 Central Government websites made accessible under Content Management Framework by Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)
• 676 State Government websites made accessible, of which 476 are live.

Education and Language Accessibility -

• Indian Sign Language Research and Training Centre (ISLRTC) was established in September 2015 to promote the use, teaching and research in Indian Sign Language.
• A total of 183 students have completed the Diploma in Indian Sign Language Interpretation (DISLI) course between 2016-17 and 2023.

International Day of Persons with Disabilities:

• International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) is observed every year on 3 December. The day celebrates the resilience, strength, leadership and contribution of persons with disabilities (PwD) across the world.
• The theme of this year is "Promoting leadership of persons with disabilities for an inclusive and sustainable future."
• The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was adopted by the United Nations in 2006.
• Signing of the Convention by India: 30 March 2007

Other initiatives for welfare of persons with disabilities:

• National Action Plan for Skill Development-2015
• Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL): 2021
• Deendayal Divyang Punarvasna Yojana, 1999 (amended in 2003)
• National Fellowship for Students with Disabilities, 2012-13
• Unique Identification Card for Persons with Disabilities (UDID)