Initiative: Dikshant students conduct survey on ‘Disabled Friendly Infrastructure'

Students working on App to locate disabled friendly toilets

Chandigarh, Sept 29, 2022:  A group of students from Dikshant International School's club - HOPE, Happiness Offered to People Everywhere, conducted a survey on ‘Disabled Friendly Infrastructure’ in Chandigarh.  Four  young researchers Anvesha Mongia, Class XII, Idant Dikshit, Class XI, Manvi Longia, Class XI and Muskan Dharwal, Class XI showcased the findings of the 3-month long survey through a presentation during a press conference held at Press Club, Sector 27, Chandigarh.

Members of the club conducted a survey of close to 80 places, which includes public places, toilets, restaurants, banks and Government buildings of Chandigarh on different parameters. It is to be noted that 2.21% of the Indian population is disabled, this totals to a whopping 26 million people.

Anvesha Mongia, a class 12 student of Dikshant International School and HOPE Club President, said, "The survey found that 85% of government office buildings didn’t have wheelchair ramps at accessible entry points and failed in providing disabled friendly toilets. Surprisingly, more shocking results of the survey came when we surveyed major tourist attractions like Sukhna Lake and Rock Garden, which lack accessible entrance points, wheelchair ramps and disabled-friendly toilets."

The survey also highlights the dark shades of the city's fancy restaurants. According to findings of the survey out of the 50 restaurants visited - 37 had toilets for different genders, but zero had toilets for the disabled people. Out of the 50 restaurants, only 2 had ASL(American Sign Language)/ ISL(Indian Sign Language) trained employees and that too is just after 3 PM, while less than 50% (23) had ramps within an accessible distance. The marketplaces surveyed showed only 30% had toilets that were disabled friendly, and just 20% had accessible ramps.

Mitul Dixit, Chairman, Dikshant Schools said,"About 7 years back, The NBC (National Building Code) removed the clause of necessity of disabled toilets in restaurants. This excludes an entire part of the population and makes them further distant from living a normal life."

The students raised the matter through an online petition and have received a good response. Moreover, the young researchers have also visited the Deputy Commissioner of Panchkula for his support and mailed various government departments to take up the matter on priority.

 Idant Dikshit opined,  “Despite Chandigarh being the first urban planned city of India has failed to create a barrier-free environment for the disabled people."  Muskan Dharwal said, "There is a dire need to upgrade the infrastructure of the buildings and public places to make the city disabled-friendly.”

Manvi Longia added, “I hope that the policy makers would revise the law in favor of disabled people, which would make such places inclusive and disabled friendly.”

The students are now aiming to build an app which will be launched soon. The app will help the physically challenged locate nearby disabled friendly toilets in not just tricity but in the entire country. They also wish to collaborate with students of other schools to take the project on a larger scale.  

It is noteworthy that some of the past initiatives of the club which has 35 active members  include tree plantation drives, fundraising for the needy, celebrations of festivals and special days with underprivileged children and more.