New Delhi: AICTE is preparing to develop model "disability-friendly" technical institutes in at least one in each state across the country to encourage the enrollment of students with disabilities.
With this step, AICTE aims to make new and effective changes in existing technical education institutes in India and make them disability friendly. Some of the changes will include upgrading infrastructure, changes in administration, and adding required facilities on the campus.
Speaking on this initiative, AICTE Member Secretary Rajive Kumar said, “We had received feedback that many students are not able to join technical institutions because they do not support education for people with disabilities and we wanted to change that".
Earlier, the council formed an expert committee that will focus on various initiatives for students with disabilities. With the aim to make education accessible to all, an “accessibility audit” will be done to identify gaps in facilities required for disabled students.
“A committee formed to look into the issue advised that we should create model institutions — at least one in each state — which is disability-friendly and gives students a supportive environment to continue their studies,” Kumar further added.
The step to create model institutes in each state of India will offer support to students with disabilities who are from remote areas and are not able to get out of their state for education. This will provide a huge relief to students as they will have the required education facilities in their own state.
Anil Sahasrabudhe, Chairman of AICTE, says, “We aim to transform one institution in each state into model institutes where we will fund and provide them with all kinds of technological interventions for supporting students with disabilities like PwD, SLD, and Dyslexia”.
Adding to the statement, he said, “Some of the good-ranking institutions are undergoing an accessibility audit and thereafter selected institutes would be given up to Rs 5 crore each after these institutions fulfil the audit requirements for physically challenged students”.
Talking about the highlights of this initiative, the officials informed that these developed institutes will have an Office of Accessible Assistive Technology (OAAT) for students. AICTE aims to create at least 5 model institutes for students by the end of this year
“We plan to set up five institutes by end of 2022. A committee of IIT professors and experts who have worked in the area of disability is conducting the audit of the identified institutions. Inclusivity of the disabled students into mainstream education is in sync with NEP 2020” he added.
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