NCPEDP AND MPHASIS UNIVERSAL DESIGN AWARDS
Instituted
by:
NATIONAL
CENTRE FOR PROMOTION OF EMPLOYMENT FOR DISABLED PEOPLE
A - 77, South
Extension Part - II, New Delhi
- 110049
Tel.: 011-26265647,
011-26265648 Fax: 011-26265649
In
association with
AccessAbility
D8/8073,
Vasant Kunj, New Delhi
110070
and
BarrierBreak Technologies
Office
No. 102, Highway Commercial Complex
IB Patel Road,
Opposite Laghu Udyog Industrial Estate
Goregoan (E), Mumbai - 400063
Supported
by:
MPHASIS an hp company
Bagmane
Laurel, Bagmane Technology Park
Byrasandra,
C.V. Raman Nagar
Bengaluru
- 560093
Conservative estimates put the population
of persons with disabilities in India at 100 million. Yet, it is only a
minuscule percentage of the population that has been seen in the mainstream of
any aspect of life in the country; be it the workforce, education or anything
else. Any study undertaken to determine the reason for this would point to one
direction and that would be the lack of access.
A cursory study of history too would
reveal that all great movements arose from the very lack of access to basic
facilities, discrimination and the fight for one’s dignity and belief that all
humans are equal and born free. The disability rights movement advocates equal
access for people with disabilities to social, political, and economic life
which includes not only physical access but access to the same tools, services,
organisations and facilities which we all pay for.
Over the years, Accessibility
- has
come to occupy the most identifiable cause that has unified the global
approach towards disability – across social, political and economic lives
of people with disabilities.
- has
become the most fundamental cause that any person with disability
identifies with, irrespective of the disability.
- has
become the fulcrum to the disability rights movement globally.
Accessibility not only means access
to physical spaces but also means access to information, technology, transport,
services, aids and appliances, etc. For example, only 0.05% of printed books
are available in accessible formats to people with a print impairment! Only a
handful of Indian websites are accessible to people with disabilities!! And,
most television programming is not accessible to people with hearing impairment
in India!!! These are just a few examples.
Access,
therefore, is an issue that cuts across disabilities and sectors and forms the
very basis of empowerment of people with disabilities. A concept that is
intrinsic to any kind of access is ‘Universal Design’, which means a design
that is usable to the greatest extent possible by everyone, regardless of age,
ability, or situation. This could mean the built environment, technology,
transport, and so on. Universal design accommodates people with disabilities,
older people, children, and others who are non-average in a way that is not
stigmatising and benefits all users. The seven Principles that describe
characteristics that make designs universally usable are:
- Equitable Use
- Flexibility in Use
- Simple and Intuitive
Use
- Perceptible
Information
- Tolerance for Error
- Low Physical Effort
- Size and Space for
Approach and Use
Though
this approach benefits older people and people with disabilities most of the
time, Universal Design benefits every human being to some degree at some point
of time. Universal Design has attained major ground in the developed nations,
but in developing countries like India, this concept is yet to
attain popularity. In fact, awareness on Universal Design is close to none and
there have been very few attempts to educate architects, designers and others
about this.
In order to spread awareness on
Universal Design and to popularise this concept, NCPEDP, in association with
AccessAbility and BarrierBreak Technologies, and with the support of MphasiS,
instituted The NCPEDP - Mphasis Universal Design Awards in 2010. These Awards are given away every
year to those who have been doing exemplary work towards the cause of
accessibility and thus ensuring a life of equality and dignity for people with
disabilities. As of now, the Awards are limited to work in India.
The Awards covers accessibility in
the following fields:
1. Built Environment
2. Transport
3. Information and Communication
Technology
4. Services
5. Aids and Appliances
In the last two editions, these
Awards were able to create tremendous buzz among stakeholders and received an
amazing response. We are confident that with each edition, these Awards will
gain further recognition and credibility and will encourage more and more
people to work in the field of promoting access and Universal Design.
The awards will be given under three
categories:
- CATEGORY A:
PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES Awards in this
category are given to people
with disabilities who have created an impact in accessibility and
Universal Design in any of the areas such as built environment, transport
infrastructure, service provision, information and communication
technology (ICT), universally designed consumer products, mobility &
independent living aids, or assistive technology in their
personal/professional capacity.
The work that the person
has done can be in policy framework, grass-root level implementation, design
and development, access audits, or even the rights movement/advocacy.
Every year, Awards in
this category are given out to 3 people across the country.
- CATEGORY B:
WORKING PROFESSIONALS
Awards in this category are given to people who work for the cause of
accessibility and Universal Design in any of the areas such as built
environment, transport infrastructure, service provision, information and
communication technology (ICT), universally designed consumer products,
mobility & independent living aids, or assistive technology.
She/he may be an employee
of an education institute / NGO / corporate / government body that has taken up
the cause, or may be a consultant or freelancer who has devoted her/his time
for the cause. Her/his individual contribution to the cause is a major reason
for the success achieved by the organisation/firm/movement. She/he may also be
an individual who is involved in the cause independent of any organisational
support and has achieved significant success in the core objective of gaining
accessibility for disabled people.
Awards in this category are
given out to ensure that many dedicated people who have involved themselves in
the cause get due recognition. This will not only help in sensitising the community,
but will also encourage young minds to join the cause as a career option.
Every year, Awards in
this category are given out to 3 people across the country.
- CATEGORY C:
COMPANIES/ORGANISATIONS Awards in this
category are given to those companies or organisations who have taken up the cause of accessibility and Universal Design
in any of the areas such as built environment, transport infrastructure,
service provision, information and communication technology (ICT),
universally designed consumer products, mobility & independent living aids, or
assistive technology.
Companies/organisations
that have implemented either/all of these within their organisations, which has
led to them recruiting or serving people with disabilities and providing them
equal opportunities to participate to the best of their abilities. These
companies/organisations can be a role model for the rest of the society, and
recognising their efforts and giving them the encouragement will help the cause
to reach out to many more.
These can be any type of
an education institute / NGO / corporate / government body - private sector,
public sector, joint sector, SME or even proprietorship/partnership firms. The
selection criteria will not only be for adopting accessibility policies, but
also for implementing them at the workplace.
Every year, Awards in
this category are given out to 4 companies/ organisations across the country.
Access symbolizes the true spirit of
freedom as far as persons with disabilities are concerned. These Awards are
therefore given away on 14th August, the eve of India’s Independence
Day.
