IIT Delhi celebrates International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2021

NEW DELHI: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi celebrated the International Day of Persons with Disabilities today with the director, V Ramgopal Rao, and performed “challenging challenges” activities.

“The activities were organised to sensitize and build empathy among non-disabled persons by helping them experience the challenges faced by persons with disabilities in their daily life and also value their abilities,” an official statement from IIT Delhi said.

Activities performed by students on IDPD 2021

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With an aim to support students with disabilities, the institute had launched ‘Office of Accessible Education (OAE)’ this year. The OAE has made a modest start over the past few months in providing support to such students, the statement said.

To extend support to the disabled students, the OAE and the institute’s academic section are offering scribes and compensatory time to over 130 students on the campus. With the help of the Head of Departments, the OAE has created a pool of scribes for this purpose, the statement added.

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Speaking of the various steps IIT Delhi is taking for the disabled persons including students on the campus, Rao said: “At the OAE, assistive devices will be available for those who need them. We will conduct a survey among the students with disabilities about the kinds of assistive devices they need (wheelchairs, hearing aids, calipers, special mobile phones, etc.). We have taken steps towards making our official website compliant with WGAC guidelines. The institute is also looking into providing mobility services on the campus to the disabled persons.”

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IDPD is celebrated every year on December 3 to promote the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities in all spheres of society and development, and to increase awareness of the situation of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life.

The theme for this year’s IDPD is “Leadership and participation of persons with disabilities toward an inclusive, accessible and sustainable post-COVID-19 world.”