Developing schools without barriers

#GS-02 Social Security

The need children with disabilities (CWD) friendly infrastructure

A UNESCO 2019 report discovered that Children With Disabilities comprise 1.7% of the total population of children in India.
More than 70% of five-year-olds with disabilities in India have never attended any educational institution due to physical, institutional, socioeconomic and communication barriers.

Lack of accessibility in school buses.
Inaccessible facilities such as drinking water facilities, canteens and toilets in schools.
Lack of appropriate infrastructure in classrooms such as uncomfortable seating, slippery flooring and low illumination.
Prejudiced attitudes and stereotyped perceptions among parents, teachers, staff, and communities.
The lack of teaching and learning practices such as assistive devices that integrate inclusive technologies and digital equipment to engage the child.

Article 21A of the Constitution guarantee the fundamental right to education for children aged 6-14 years.
And the Right to Education Act, 2009 guarantee the right to have free and compulsory education for children aged 6-14 years.
The Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, adopted a ‘zero rejection policy’, which emphasises meaningful and quality education for every child with special needs, irrespective of the kind, category and degree of disability.
India ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and pursuant to this launched the Accessible India Campaign (Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan) in 2015.
Pilot training programmes on enhancing accessibility and inclusion were implemented in two schools in Delhi under the Mainstreaming LNOB (Leave No One Behind) project by UN-Habitat.

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