Background

With disabilities arising from accidents, age, or medical conditions, one in every 12 households in India apparently has a person with a disability, according to a World Bank report. With this in mind, in 2015, the Indian Prime Minister announced the Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan, or the Accessible India Campaign in 7 Indian states. Moreover, the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act of 2016 was introduced to increase ease of access for people with disabilities to public and private buildings, workplaces, religious places, public utilities etc. This included the installation of ramps, modifying toilets for wheelchair users, and installing Braille signs especially in elevators.

According to the Department of Empowerment of People with Disabilities, however, by mid-2018, only 3% of the 1707 buildings identified at the start of the Accessible India Campaign had become accessible. Moreover, the Union government’s intention of making 25% of public transport accessible to people with disabilities has also not been met. Such lack of access to the places that many of us take for granted prevents people with disabilities from exercising social, financial, and movement-related independence.

These are the issues that AccessCheck aims to address -- in order to make the world a safer, more inclusive, and more empathetic place for everyone, irrespective of ability. In this way, we hope to enforce everyone’s right to equal opportunity so that they can take charge of their own futures.