Recipient: 15th NCPEDP-MPHASIS Universal Design Awards 2024

Received the 15th NCPEDP-Mphasis Universal Design Award, 2024 [Jury Appreciation] for my research, advocacy, and campaign endeavours on the need for universal accessibility as an integral component for achieving disability-led and inclusive climate action, strategies, and plans (SDG 10 and 13) as we ‘build forward better’ to ensure we ‘leave no one behind’.

Supreme Court of India's judgment in Rajive Raturi vs. Union of India & Ors. [2024 INSC 858], marked a landmark step forward for disability rights and inclusion in India. By recognizing accessibility as a fundamental right, the Apex Court reaffirmed that every person with a disability must have equal access to public spaces, opportunities, and products/services, as enshrined and guaranteed under Articles 14, 19, and 21 [Fundamental Rights] of the Constitution. The much-needed directive to the government to create mandatory accessibility standards under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act of 2016, is a testament to the power of data-driven and evidence-based collective advocacy, research, and action/movement.

The Sangyan contributed, in a small way, to this collective effort by conducting Accessibility Audit Survey for five Sports Facilities in Ranchi (Jharkhand), which exposed accessibility-related challenges and documented and brought ground realities to light, ensuring that inclusive spaces are part of the larger narrative of universal design and accessibility, including for 'Culture and recreation' and 'Sporting activities' as mandated under Sections 29 and 30 of the RPwD Act of 2016.

Stories of Impact - Making a Case for a Handbook on Combating Disability Stereotypes

Last year in 2023, when the Supreme Court of India launched the ‘Handbook on Combating Gender Stereotypes’ to assist judges and the legal community in identifying, understanding and combating stereotypes about women, The Sangyan, advocated for the need to formulate a similar ‘Handbook on Combating Disability Stereotypes’ and made representation to the Chief Justice of India in this regard. A year later, we’re elated to share that the Supreme Court of India has released a comprehensive ‘Handbook Concerning Persons with Disabilities’ covering chapters on the Law of Equality and Disability, Language and Disability, and Legal Framework. Onwards and upwards!

Social Justice and Empowerment Minister, Dr. Virendra Kumar on Tuesday (11th June 2024) outlined the 100-Day Plan for his ministry of the newly-elected and formed Modi Government 3.0, underlining initiatives which included Accessible India 2.0. The Hon’ble Minister further added that “there must be stricter implementation of the Accessible India campaign to promote disability-friendly infrastructure.”

We at Poornamidam and The Sangyan are delighted to share that our ‘Charter of Demands: Call to Action for Disability Justice' which was launched on 14th February 2024 on the occasion of Basant Panchami (Saraswati Puja) included this very demand of “Initiation of Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan 2.0 [Accessible India Campaign 2.0] (सुगम्य भारत अभियान 2.0 [एक्सेसिबल इंडिया कैंपेन 2.0] की शुरुआत बड़ी दूरदर्शिता और बड़े लक्ष्यों के साथ।). It’s a moment of immense pleasure that the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India, has taken cognizance of our demand on behalf of the larger disability community and in pursuit of our collective disability inclusion movement.

As a participant and member of the National Disability Network (NDN) and National Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (NCRPD) Consultations and Meetings during 2023 and 2024 - Adv Abhishek Kumar contributed towards drafting the Manifesto in general and the 'Climate Change and Disability-inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction' section in specific, among other things, by providing suggestions and actionable recommendations based on the data-driven and evidence-based research, advocacy and campaign endeavours as the NCPEDP-Javed Abidi Fellow on Disability (2021-2024) on the 'Impact of Climate Change on Persons with Disabilities'.

Proceedings Report of the Side Event at the COSP-15 on 'Disability and Disaster Resilience: Ensuring Equality and Inclusion' covering the presentation on "Status of Disability Inclusion in Disaster Risk Management: Indian Perspective" by Adv Abhishek Kumar - Founder and Curator of The Sangyan and NCPEDP-Javed Abidi Fellow on Disability (2021-24).