HRD ministry plans chapters on disability in school curriculum

HRD Minister Javadekar said educational institutes would be made accessible to the disabled in a phased manner.

New Delhi: Chapters on disability will soon be included in school curriculum to increase awareness and sensitise the youth about the issue, Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar said on Sunday.

At a bikers' rally organised here to spread awareness about universal accessibility for the differently-abled, Javadekar said educational institutes would be made accessible to the disabled in a phased manner, according to an official statement.

The 'Ride for Accessibility' was organised as part of a campaign run by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment to spread awareness about the issue.

Flagged off from India Gate, it saw the participation of leading biker groups from the city.

The Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan) is running an Accessible India Campaign (Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan) for creating universal accessibility in built environment, public transportation and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) eco-system.

The campaign was initially launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 3 last year on the occasion of the International Day for Persons with Disabilities.

Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thaawar Chand Gehlot highlighted the objectives of 'Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan' and urged citiznes to come forward to support the campaign.

Bollywood actor Vivek Oberoi, ambassador of the Accessible India Campaign, praised the indomitable spirit of persons with disabilities.

The ministry is making efforts to make the campaign a mass movement by involving citizens and sensitising the society towards disability and the need for accessibility.