Chandigarh: Panjab University campus buildings not disabled-friendly

While Panjab University has scored 20 out of 20 in the parameter relating to facilities for physically challenged students (PCS) under the outreach and inclusivity (OI) of the National Institutional Ranking Framework rankings, differently abled students say the reality is far from it.

In an audit conducted in December 2023, no campus building was found people with disabilities (PwD)-friendly. At times, the departments on first or higher floors had to hold classes on the ground floor as the building was not accessible to differently abled students.

Despite a demand having been submitted over a year ago, the authorities have not made the SBI fee counter behind the administration building accessible to them. Ravi Rawal, a student of the university, who uses a wheelchair, said he had submitted a memorandum to the university on October 1, demanding that the SBI fee counter be made accessible to differently abled students. He had also submitted a memorandum to the authorities in April this year asking them to also make the Sector 14 market near gate No. 2 accessible to such students and build a washroom in the AC Joshi Library for them. As of now, only the market has been made accessible to the differently abled.

“The SBI fee counter behind the administration building has seven steps. It is impossible for a wheelchair user like me to go inside. Whenever I have to submit a fee, I have to ask for someone’s help,” said Rawal, a Special BEd course student.

The officials concerned claim since the buildings in the university were notified as heritage structures, it was necessary that alterations were made keeping those properties intact. “Some professionals had conducted an accessibility audit of the PU buildings in December last year and submitted a report, which has been taken up with the Central Government. The matters requiring urgent action will be soon taken up,” said a senior PU official.

The AC Joshi Library, which has a huge reading hall on the ground floor, do not have a washroom for the differently abled students. “Not just this, but the lift by which students like us can go to the first floor, also remains shut for one or the other malfunction at times. During one instance, I had to be taken to the ground floor through fire exit ramp. It took the staff over 40 minutes to find the key to open the fire exit gate. In an event of mishap, such delay can prove fatal,” said Rawal.

Accessibility Audit 2023

Equal Opportunity Cell for Persons with Disabilities of the university had got an accessibility audit of the campus buildings conducted through an agency in December 2023. Of 99 buildings surveyed, none was found to be totally disabled-friendly. In February, the PU submitted the detailed estimates to the Centre. In August, the Central department held a meeting with PU officials. “We are waiting for financial aid from the ministry,” said Narender Luthra from the Equal Opportunity Cell for Persons with Disabilities, PU.