IS HIGHER EDUCATION IN INDIA REALLY INCLUSIVE FOR ALL?

This article delves into challenges faced by disabled students in higher education, existing legal framework and suggestions for an inclusive education for all. 

 INTRODUCTION

Education is an important step to climb the ladder of life, become independent and self-sufficient. Everyone, irrespective of their gender, caste, religion, and any other limitation would generally aim to be financially independent. A person with disability also has an equal right to expect and live a normal life, attain education, do a job, get married, have children and everything along with it. But the sad truth is that a person with disability is discriminated as soon as they enter the world be it in schools, colleges, sometimes even at their own homes. It is, therefore, the responsibility of the State as well as every individual to not let a disabled person feel less about themselves. It is also our collective responsibility to provide every means possible to make sure that a disabled person can live independently and reap all fruits of life. Till school education, a disabled child has a constant support of their parents. But, after school, life tremendously changes including change in environment, living by yourself, less teacher-student interaction which can have a huge impact on the disabled child. It is during this period that a disabled person needs utmost support and attention from their peers, from the institution and from the society at large. This article deals with the challenges faced by disabled persons during Higher Education with respect to facilities, accessibility, and inclusivity including personal experiences concluded by suggestions and recommendations from the author. 

LEGAL GUIDELINES AND POLICY 

The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act (RPWD Act hereinafter mentioned as “Act”) is the principal legislation for persons with disabilities. With respect to access to higher education for disabled persons, Section 32 of the Act mandates all government higher educational institutions to reserve at least 5% of seats for “persons with benchmark disabilities”. Section 16 (ii) of the Act mentions that the campus, building and other facilities of educational institutions should be accessible to students with disabilities.

In June 2022, University Grants Commission (UGC) has finalized “Accessibility Guidelines and Standards for Higher Education Institutions and Universities”. [1] These guidelines are designed to provide a roadmap to universities and colleges to provide accessible systems for people with disabilities that encompass every step, from admission through course completion. 

LACK OF IMPLEMENTATION OR PARTIAL IMPLEMENTATION

The Act briefly mentions accessibility for disabled persons in education and the recent policy by UGC elaborates on the issue laying down important guidelines to be implemented by the universities. The problem is lack of implementation by the institutions and even if it is implemented, it does not fully conform to all guidelines resulting in exclusion and accessibility barriers felt by disabled students. [2]

Therefore, the compliance of the guidelines needs to be accompanied by fines and penalties to be faced by the universities and institutions. The list of measures needs to be updated by thoroughly understanding the individual needs to address the problem fully. Reservations must not be an end goal but the first step towards inclusion. 

PERSONAL EXPERIENCES (names changed to preserve anonymity) 

Sahil is a PHD student in Political Science at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. He requires a wheelchair support for movement. He states that his campus is not disabled-inclusive as he faces a lot of problems in accessing his canteen (located in the basement without lift access and ramp) and has fallen down many times due to uneven roads on the campus. He requires constant support of his friends to have meals and to move around the campus. He wishes his campus to be disabled-friendly and for the voices of the disabled to be heard. 

Ali is a Post Graduate student of Mass Communication at Jamia Millia Islamia University, New Delhi. He lost his eyes due to an accident in his teen years. He loves film making, visual designing and singing. He remembers the world he saw when he was not blind and wishes to create it again through his films. He regularly faces issues in accessing reading material in college library, to understand visually oriented subjects such as photography and TV production. He wishes for a curriculum which provides him the technology to access all course subjects equally as his peers. He knows that he could have never succeeded to this level if not for his parents’ utmost support and is fortunate enough to come from an affluent family to be able to pursue his dreams of being a film-maker. 

SUGGESTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 

The policy structure regarding accessibility and inclusivity is in place for higher educational institutions. But, with respect to implementation, compliance and sensitization, there is not much that has been done. Compliance of the Act and the UGC Policy is the need of the hour. 

Just like every college has a student board, an alumni cell, a cultural centre, it should also have a committee for social inclusion of persons with disabilities. This committee could include faculty, staff as well as students actively engaged in compliances to laws as well as to address individual concerns for providing conducive environment for the disabled persons. 

To further improve compliance on a national level, a regulatory authority can be constituted to make sure that all major compliances are in line with the guidelines laid down by UGC. [3] The inclusion of assisted technologies for access to reading material and class material should be done as much as possible so that there is no restriction of any career field for a disabled person. 

If sufficient steps are taken for improvement of infrastructure, facilities, use of technology, sensitization through college committees, we can collectively improve the idea of higher education for disabled person and pave their way to attain independence and success to their dreams.

[1] UGC and Ministry of Education, “Accessibility Guidelines and Standards for Higher Education Institutions and Universities,” dated June 2022 accessible at https://www.ugc.gov.in/pdfnews/8572354_Final-Accessibility-Guidelines.pdf.

[2] Ayushi Bansal, “Affirmative Action Without Accessibility: India’s Higher Education System Fails Disabled Students”, (January 10, 2019), accessible at https://ohrh.law.ox.ac.uk/affirmative-action-without-accessibility-indias-higher-education-system-fails-disabled-students/.

 [3] Pooja Rajawat and Jayam Jha, “India’s educational institutions must do better to support persons with special needs. Here's why”, (March 8, 2023), accessible at https://www.newindianexpress.com/web-only/2023/mar/08/indias-educational-institutions-must-do-better-to-support-persons-with-special-needs-heres-why-2554316.html.