The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has notified the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (Amendment) Rules, 2023. These Rules have amended the ‘Rules for Accessibility’ provided under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Rules, 2017. The present rules come into force from November 20, 2023.
By the present amendment rules, every establishment must comply with the rural sector specific harmonized accessibility standards/guidelines. These guidelines were notified by the Ministry of Rural Development on 26th June, 2023.
The guidelines explain that the ratification of the United Nations Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities by India makes it incumbent that persons with disabilities (PwDs) have access to physical environment, transportation and information and communication on an equal basis with others in both urban and rural areas of the country.
Hence, in light of this objective, India launched the Accessible India Campaign or the Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan on the 3rd December, 2015. The campaign aimed at creating a barrier free environment across the three components of build-up environment, the transportation system and Information & Communications Technology (ICT) system.
Pertinently, the Ministry of Rural Development, being engaged with development and welfare activities in the rural areas, plays a pivotal role in the overall development strategy of the country. The vision and mission of the Ministry is sustainable and inclusive growth of rural India through a multipronged strategy for eradication of poverty by increasing livelihoods opportunities, providing social safety net and developing infrastructure for growth.
Scope of accessibility guidelines in DoRD include provision of guidelines for making various assets created and activities undertaken through the different schemes being implemented by DoRD, accessible to persons with disabilities such as:
- Making the work area under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) and community assets created under various schemes accessible to Persons with Disabilities (PwDs).
- Individual assets created for PwDs adhere to the standards to make them barrier free.
- Creation of assets under various schemes/ programmes of DoRD like MGNREGA and PMAY-G adhering to universal design and thereby accessible to PwDs.
- Guidelines for participation of PwDs in Rural Skills & training programmes.
- Participation of women with disabilities in Self Help Groups.
- Social assistance for old and PwD.
