April 22, 2019 17:00 IST
In its quest to stir up a meaningful conversation on accessibility, Svayam, a leading accessibility organisation founded by Sminu Jindal, launched #YahanSeWahanTak, a movement to create an India where all Indians have uninterrupted access to mobility.
Sminu Jindal believes that the new India that is being designed by people has to be inclusive of all Indians. We cannot leave behind children with injury, elderly, pregnant women and people with disability. All of us face issues of accessibility once or multiple times in our lives. Therefore, #YahanSeWahanTak drives the conversation, where all of us have uninterrupted mobility to reach our fullest potential.
“Equal opportunity can only exist with uninterrupted mobility. We have to lift all Indians and give them access to equal opportunity”, said Jindal.
YahanSeWahanTak recognises all Indians are inevitably a part of a growing economy. All of us contribute to this growth story by our everyday activity such as sports, education, tourism, and employment. Therefore, it is an absolute urgency that people are not carved out due to reduced mobility.
This movement is a call to action to Indian conscience as it is not just government’s responsibility but also that of its citizens to ensure that the nation offers equal opportunities to all and not only to those who can reach a certain point due to lack of right infrastructure.
According to the World Bank, 1 out of 12 households in India have a disabled person, and a report released by the United Nations population fund and HelpAge India suggests that the number of elderly persons is expected to grow to 173 million by 2026. All household in India have pregnant mothers, elderly and children with injuries and therefore accessibility is an issue that affects all of us in our everyday lives.
Even after three years of the announcement of the ‘Accessible India’ movement, the roads, buildings, trains, buses, and stadiums are not accessible to all. Through this movement, Jindal wishes to make India sensitive towards inclusiveness and create a revolution that drives its citizens to ask for accessibility as a right.
“We all should be able to reach #YahanSeWahanTak to celebrate our lives and lives of people around us”, added Jindal.
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