Samarth Survey: How Inclusive India Is For People With Disabilities?

New Delhi: Nidhi, a 39-year-old women with visual impairment, lives in the bustling city of Delhi. Despite her vibrant personality and determination to lead an independent life, everyday tasks like commuting to work or visiting a restaurant are an ordeal. Not only this, uneven pavements, and the lack of accessible public transport leaves him stranded more often than not. Even if she makes it to her destination, navigating through buildings without ramps or accessible restrooms becomes a challenge. Nidhi’s story mirrors that of thousands of other people with physical disabilities across India. In an attempt to understand and address these very challenges, Samarth by Hyundai, in partnership with NDTV, conducted a comprehensive market survey across 20 cities.

The survey, the first of its kind, gathered insights from people like Nidhi – individuals with various types of disabilities, including visual and hearing impairments.

Here are the top findings of the survey:

Challenges for people with physical disabilities: Transportation to destinations, followed by accessibility concerns at the destination (restrooms, lifts/stairs) has been one of the major issues faced by People with physical disabilities.

Challenges for people with visual impairment: Similar challenges with transportation are faced by people who are visually impaired, along with challenges in restroom accessibility, navigation facilities, and availability of Braille materials at destinations.

Challenges for people with hearing impairment: The main challenges faced by them revolve around obtaining aids such as hearing aids and audio-based devices. Access to interpreters for sign language and captions is also an obstacle for them.

Government Support Perception – School/College Commuters

The survey found that most of the school and college students believe that the government provides sufficient support and aids for people with disabilities. However, among those who expressed dissatisfaction, half were unaware of the government facilities available to them. This drives the focus towards a significant gap in awareness and communication about these resources.

Equal Opportunity in the Workplace

When it comes to equal opportunity policies in the workplace, most respondents feel that their offices are committed to these principles. Among those who disagree, most are unaware of the existence of such policies, which highlights the need for better education regarding workplace rights and policies for people with disabilities.

Access to Healthcare Facilities

In terms of healthcare, most respondents have some form of health insurance policy. Among those who did not, half were found to be unaware of the availability of such policies. This highlights the importance of increasing awareness about healthcare options and ensuring that people with disabilities have access to the necessary healthcare coverage.

Creating An Inclusive World

The respondents provided a few suggestions to create a more inclusive space for People with Disabilities:

• Reserving more seats in public buses for people with disabilities
• Providing wheelchair facilities at bus stops
• Installing ramps for better accessibility in public spaces
• Offering enhanced scholarships
• Increasing the amount of monthly pensions
• Ensuring the availability of aids at public places
• Appointing caregivers to assist people with disabilities
• Creating more job opportunities and offering skills development training

Also Read: Laughing At Limitations: From Split Spine To Stand-Up, Sweta Mantrii’s Journey