University of Hyderabad vice-chancellor BJ Rao inaugurates wheelchair facility for all academic units

NEW DELHI: The University of Hyderabad (UoH) vice chancellor BJ Rao inaugurated the facility of wheelchairs in all academic units including administrative offices, auditoria, lecture hall complexes, and guest houses today, on December 16 at the university. UoH, as an all-inclusive campus, has been prioritizing creating an accessible environment for individuals with mobility needs, the official UoH statement said.

According to the official statement, about seven years ago, the university modified the pathways to major academic and administrative buildings, built ramps, and installed elevators at a cost of over Rs 5 crore rupees. The university became among the first few institutions in the country to contribute to accessibility, inclusion, and universal design.

"The wheelchair facility inauguration marks another milestone towards UoH's contribution," the official UoH statement adds.

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UoH wheelchair facility inauguration

According to the official statement, the wheelchairs were procured by the Empowered Committee for Differently Abled Persons (ECDAP) with funding made available by the Institution of Eminence (IoE). They are handed over to all schools, special centres, auditoria, guesthouses, lecture hall complexes and all other buildings used as public facilities.

The estate section will ensure sure appropriate allocation and maintenance of these assistive navigational devices. The availability of wheelchairs in all buildings makes indoor accessibility at the UoH campus, the official statement adds.

Speaking on the occasion, the vice chancellor emphasised the sensitivity of the university administration for accessibility and inclusion. He directed that the wheelchairs should be kept available for anyone who needs them when they enter a building, be maintained properly and that the buildings themselves be made wheelchair friendly, wherever required.

Besides the vice-chancellor, the registrar Devesh Nigam, the director of the Institution of Eminence (IoE), Ghanshyam Krishna the chairperson of Empowered Committee for Differently Abled Persons (ECDAP), Pavan Kumar Pammi, the deputy registrar (Estate Section), officials from the Central Procurement Unit, Public Relations Office and other administrative units, faculty and students attended the event.