Introduction

The Obstacle free India movement was started by Atul Mehta, a second year student of PGDM, IIM - Ahmedabad . The movement aims at making India barrier-free. They have started with the educational institutions of Ahmedabad and ramps have already been built at the IIM-A old campus. They are now planning to spread it to other educational institutions in the country and then to the other public places.

The Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights & Full Participation) Act, 1995 says that all the public buildings, rail compartments, buses, ships and air-crafts will be designed to give easy access to disabled people. It says that in all public places and in waiting rooms, toilets shall be wheel chair accessible. Braille and sound symbols are also to be provided in lifts. The act further says that all the places of public utility shall be made barrier-free by providing ramps.

This law is being openly flouted across the country and none of the aforementioned provisions has been made at most of the places. Therefore, the physically challenged as well as the people who have had an injury as well as the other people like the aged, the pregnant ladies etc. find it difficult to navigate thro’ these places. Sadly enough, neither the authorities nor the general public have shown any concern to these and either ignore these problems as they think that it is not of immediate concern to them or they think that nothing will change even if they try.

They are looking towards working with other like-minded people from across the country to make this dream come true. A website would be launched to spread awareness about this cause. The site would have the list of the “crusaders” for this cause as well as the address of the institutions which implement these measures. It would have the photographs of these ramps so that the other institutes/organizations can see them and build the ramps accordingly at their respective places. It would also have discussion forums where the members can discuss about this and can solve the problems being faced by them in their respective areas.