International Day for Persons with Disabilities Celebrated at Panjab University

Chandigarh, Dec 4, 2023: Panjab University proudly observed the International Day for Persons with Disabilities to raise awareness and promote inclusivity for people with diverse abilities on December 2 and 4. This year's theme, "United in action to rescue and achieve the SDGs for, with and by persons with disabilities" underscores the importance of ensuring that the needs and rights of persons with disabilities.

The first interactive session on December 2 was organized by the Equal Opportunity Cell for Persons with Disabilities in collaboration with University Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, aimed to celebrate the achievements and contributions of individuals with disabilities while fostering a more inclusive and accessible environment for PwDs.The event commenced with an inaugural session featuring distinguished speakers, Raj Kumar Makkad, State Commissioner for PwDs, Haryana, Dr. Y. P Verma, Registrar, Panjab University, Ram Dayal, Inspector Chandigarh Police, Dr. Anil Kumar, Chairperson UIPS PU including Dr. Ramesh Kataria and Dr. Neelima Dhingra, Coordinator & Co-Coordinator of EOC-PwDs, PU and others. The speakers highlighted the significance of creating an inclusive society that values diversity and promotes equal opportunities for PwDs.Throughout the session, a series of words were shared by the guests, including panel discussions, all designed to promote a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by persons with disabilities and to explore avenues for creating a more inclusive environment. In addition to this, the Registrar, Panjab University took this occasion to announce several initiatives geared towards enhancing accessibility on the campus. These include Accessibility Audit of University campus etc.
 
On December 4, 2023, Centre for Distance and Online Education Cell for Persons with Disability in collaboration with Equal Opportunity Cell-Persons with Disabilities, Panjab University, Chandigarh, organized,  a special event that included a talk by Prof Jayanti Dutta from Human Resource Development Center, Panjab University, on “Revitalizing Disability Cultures: Cinematically Speaking”, followed by an interactive session in which  several faculty members from several university departments including Philosophy, Sociology, University Business School, Pharmacy, Chemistry, and research scholars interacted extensively with the speaker. During her deliberation, Prof Dutta considered cinema as a major influencer and a powerful medium of raising social awareness and shaping public perceptions on the issues related to disability. Analysing thirty-seven Hindi films covering a span of about fifty years, Professor Jayanti provided a detailed analysis of how disability has been depicted in Bollywood films. Prior to Prof Dutta speaking, CDOE Director Prof Harsh Gandhar welcomed the guest-speaker and gave a very substantive and engaging introduction to the theme, touching upon the diverse aspects related to the issue of deliberation. She put her best to make the event a success. Office-bearers, Dr Ramesh Kataria and Dr Neelima Dhingra, coordinator and co-coordinator of Equal Opportunity-Cell, Panjab University, shared their experiences and understanding of the issue under consideration. Dr. Rajesh Kumar Jaiswal provided an overview of the lecture's central theme. Dr Harmail Singh conducted the session and Dr Kamla Sandhu proposed a very elaborate vote of thanks.

The International Day for Persons with Disabilities at Panjab University served as a reminder of the importance of embracing diversity and ensuring that everyone, regardless of their abilities, has the opportunity to thrive and contribute to the academic and social life of the university.