Ahead of Global Accessibility Awareness Day, experts explain the need for digital and infrastructural inclusivity

PwDs can benefit off digital products that offer access to audiobooks, online resources for braille and other services

Global Accessibility Awareness Day is celebrated annually on the third Thursday of May to encourage inclusive designs, utilities and access to digital spaces for Persons with Disabilities (PwD). In an age where almost everything is online, most digital products do not serve everyone's requirements yet. To mark the day, Sarthak Educational Trust (SET) will host an online talk titled Breaking Barriers: Ensuring Accessibility for All on YouTube to help us understand the current status of digital and physical accessibility in India.

Corporates must ensure accessibility needs of employees are met

Founder-CEO Dr Jitender Aggarwal tells us that the online talk will cover accessibility across three broad domains - public infrastructure accessibility, accessibility of airports, highways and railway stations, and IT accessibility including websites, digital spaces, news and radio.

Dr Jitender Aggarwal

"To make India accessible, the Government of India launched the Accessible India Campaign in 2015. SET and other organisations are helping the government achieve its targets," Dr Aggarwal notes. Taking us through the targets set and its review, he continues, "Today, of 3,000 government buildings to be made accessible, the audit of 1,600 buildings has been completed and only 800 buildings are made accessible to PwD.

There is a need to improve accessibility for PwD across all public buildings to encourage inclusiveness

It's important that all public buildings be made accessible." About inclusive transportation facilities, Dr Aggarwal states that while our international airports have inclusive utilities, work is still underway at domestic airports. The founder adds, "Similarly, when you think of movies and television, not much is accessible to PwD. Some programmes have audio scripts for non-verbal cues but not all. It should be a mandate for the entertainment industry."

A training session by v-shesh on life skills and use of assistive technology held for persons with neurodivergence

Leading the way with digital inclusion, SET has created products that comprise accessibility features and information for PwD. They include CapSarathi, a mobile app for information about government schemes, policies and provisions; government, private and non-profit health, education, skill, employment and rehabilitation services providers; details on assistive device providers; online resources for braille, online audiobooks; matrimonial and counselling services and more. SET has also started an online job portal for PwD called Rozgar Sarathi. Next month, the venture will launch a global e-learning management solutions portal called Gyan Sarathi.

On: May 18; 4 pm to 5 pm
Log on to: Sarthakeducationaltrust on YouTube

Seamless links

Online platforms or apps are the first points of interaction for companies. Different tools need to be integrated with specific features for different needs; whether that is the interface of an app, proper subtitling instead of auto-generated captions, corporates integrating digital inclusion in their communications and more. We also need to convey correct information online about infrastructural accessibility and the utilities available. Accessible digital spaces connecting with accessible physical spaces will help create a comprehensive network.

Siddhant Shah, access consultant and founder, Access for ALL

All-inclusive

Most regular activities are online whether it's e-commerce, net banking, filing our returns, or making payments. If Applications and websites are inaccessible to PwD, we will be excluding them from everyday life. When we speak about digital accessibility, we need to include gadgets that can be operated by persons with different disabilities; like larger keypads for people with a physical disability. For people with visual impairments, there should be access to information through audio narration or magnification. People with hearing disabilities will need access through visual media, captions or sign language. We need to ensure an inclusive format of communication using simple language or larger text for those who are neurodivergent or with intellectual disabilities.

Radhika Agarwal, co-founding team, v-shesh, an impact enterprise that prepares job seekers with opportunities and organisations with disability inclusion