IIT Delhi Takes Initiatives for The Empowerment Of Students With Disabilities

Academic accommodations are an essential component of the inclusion of students with disabilities on campus. Provision of scribe and compensatory time is given to students with disabilities as mandated by the law. IIT Delhi has made substantial progress towards ensuring the inclusion of students with disabilities on the campus.

Inclusive initiatives focusing on academic accommodations, transportation accessibility, infrastructure accessibility, and the involvement of students with disabilities in extracurricular activities have been spearheaded by the Office of Accessible Education (under the Diversity and Inclusion Office) at IIT Delhi.

“Accessible higher education is a fundamental right of PwDs. At IIT Delhi, we are committed to providing an inclusive environment to ensure that no student is marginalized in any academic or extracurricular activity on campus because of their disabilities,” Prof. Vikram Singh, Faculty Advisor, Office of Accessible Education, said.

As per the administration, IIT Delhi continuously strives to implement inclusive initiatives. The goal is to envision an inclusive campus that respects diversity and equality of opportunity for all. Making buildings on the campus accessible for students with disabilities has been a key priority, accomplished through the addition of ramps in classrooms, braille signage in lifts, braille name plates, and accessible hostel accommodations.

The installation of a portable, accessible restroom for persons with disabilities at the main administrative building in the academic area to accommodate those who have mobility issues is the most recent inclusive endeavour. Along with this, accessible washrooms have been installed in other academic blocks as well. IIT Delhi has also acquired an accessible e-cart for the transport of students with disabilities around the campus.

Additionally, ramps have been built on the campus to make common areas more accessible for students with disabilities. Height adjustable tables have been installed and an elevated wheelchair purchased to make labs and experiments more accessible. “It is a matter of pride for the Institute that it has probably the first accessible chemistry lab in the country,” the institute said.

Other aspects of accommodations, which include providing assistive devices such as low-vision magnifiers, hearing aids, KIBO reading and writing devices, braille embossers, laptops, accessible keyboard trays, and electric/elevated wheelchairs, have been provided to the students with disabilities as per their needs.

Along with providing infrastructure facilities, IIT Delhi has made social and cultural activities for students with disabilities a top priority.

NISHAAN, an annual cultural event that celebrates the talents of students with disabilities in various areas such as music, dance, drama, photography, painting, and essay/poetry writing, was first organized in 2023.

SANGAM, an intercollege sports event for students with disabilities, is another initiative that was launched with the aim of increasing the participation of students with disabilities in extracurricular activities and marking the start of inclusivity in sports at IIT Delhi. It was a full-day event with blind cricket, chess, and athletics.