For more than half a million people in the world, accessible and safe design features in public transport infrastructure and system can mean an education, a job and equal opportunities that would otherwise be denied to them. Thus it is mandatory to make public transport system and pedestrian infrastructure accessible and provide ‘first and last mile’ connectivity for persons with disabilities and reduced mobility.
Samarthyam Women with Disabilities Forum for Action
We promote, ensure and uphold rights of girls to
move towards just and peaceful world, where everyone lives with dignity,
respect, and equality.
In these 33 years of our
journey towards inclusion, which is hindered with obstacles, we
remain persistent as we collectively dismantle systems of stigma and
ableism.
Samarthyam
advocated for National Urban Transport Policy after the first National
Conference on “Mobility for All”, held in New Delhi in 2006, thus resulting in
the first transport policy in India with inclusive mobility sections. We have
secured significant wins, including the ratification
of UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2007.
In 2014, the NUTP was amended again to comply
with UNCRPD and The PWD Act 1995 and stipulates universal design and universal
accessibility in its preamble. Now, the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act,
2016 mandates universal design and accessibility in transport ecosystem.
Samarthyam collaborates with State and Central
(federal) Governments, State Transport Authorities, service providers, and
public transit agencies:
- to identify mobility challenges and provide innovative
solutions for persons with reduced mobility and disabilities
- to create inclusive transit services that could be sustained and replicated across the country, equitably access for all was considered crucial
Some examples are: Delhi Metro, Bus Rapid Transit Systems, Delhi low floor buses, bus shelters, as non-engineering member have co-authored several codes for the Indian Roads Congress- such as IRC -103, Guidelines for pedestrian facilities, etc., which are used as national standards by road and transport engineers, professionals, policy makers, implementers, etc.
As the active members for
the Accessible India Campaign, 2015 the flagship campaign by Government of
India and the passing of the National Act on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities in 2016, there is significant awareness amongst policy makers on
accessibility mandate.
We worked for 2 years to
develop the strategies and goals for implementation and added transportation
ecosystem as one of the verticals. Samarthyam resourced cross-movement
collaboration between the disability rights and mainstream feminist movement
and provided technical assistance to the sector and service providers.
Samarthyam, promoted key policy elements, institutional mechanisms and capacity development that can be adapted to national contexts to accelerate progress in disability-inclusive and Equitable Transport Systems.
Building unity and
solidarity and a collective vision for advocacy has resulted in getting forward
from papers to policy to implementation, though we have been just able to
achieve 10-15% of inclusive design, practices, and services.
With our research
and work with the grass root women with disabilities, we have found that they have
the solutions, lived experiences, and expertise to drive meaningful shifts and
lead our communities towards a more accessible, inclusive and equitable world.
Still, alike all women, women with disabilities continue to face inequality and
discrimination and are ‘‘transport disadvantaged”.
