Ashoka University event explores pathways to make campuses inclusive for students with disabilities
New Delhi : Ashoka University hosted an event today, titled ‘Inclusion Through Innovation: Designing Barrier-free Environments’. Organised by the Office of Learning Support (OLS), E-Club, and InfoEdge Centre for Entrepreneurship, the event explored innovative pathways for making university campuses an inclusive space that provide access and nurture students with disabilities. The event witnessed participation from eminent stakeholders from the industry, including Virat Bhatia (Managing Director, Apple India), Sangeeta Robinson (Chief Sustainability Officer, PVR Cinemas), Gita Dang (Chairperson of Skill Council for Persons with Disability and Founder & Director of Talent Advisory Services), and Shakul Sonker (Co-founder, I-Stem and an Ashoka alum).
Delivering the keynote, Pramath Raj Sinha, Chairman, Board of Trustees, Ashoka University said, “The biggest barrier to inclusion of persons with special needs is access. Unfortunately, access for many planners comes as an afterthought, where solutions are retro-fitted. Inclusivity must come at the formative stage of our thinking and design”. Commenting about nurturing innovation, he further mentioned, “Innovation demands diverse perspectives. Diverse classrooms improve critical and entrepreneurial thinking. Thus, it is the responsibility of university campuses to be more inclusive for students with different abilities so that innovation may take birth”.
Speaking about the importance of such platforms, Ms. Reena Gupta, Founding Director, Office of Learning Support (OLS), Ashoka University stated, “The HEIs have a significant role to play in changing the narrative around inclusion. As educators and a community, we need to create inclusive spaces and more importantly, inclusive mindsets so that everyone benefits from the value students with disabilities bring to the institutions. Only by bringing a set of diverse thinking hats under one roof, including stakeholders from the industry, can we hope to deliver impact effectively at campuses.”
The keynote was followed by a panel discussion on “Disability Inclusivity, to Foster Environments that are More Accessible”, moderated by Priyank Narayan (Head of Department, Entrepreneurship & Director, InfoEdge Centre for Entrepreneurship, Ashoka University).
Sharing her experiences at the discussion, Sangeeta Robinson, Chief Sustainability Officer, PVR Cinemas highlighted that simple innovations were often the key that helped PVR Cinemas to become more inclusive. For instance, ensuring wheelchair access at the cinemas, enabling subtitles at select screenings, as well as exploring ways to provide audio-descriptions for persons with special needs.
Speaking candidly, Virat Bhatia, Managing Director, Apple shared that there is a need to identify the biggest challenges of the students with different needs, such as facing examinations. He emphasizes that if every single student is assisted during school or college, they can produce results that are at par or even better than their peers. Sharing her experiences, Gita Dang, Chairperson of Skill Council for persons with disability and Founder & Director of Talent Advisory Services highlighted how she engaged with organizations in real estate, entertainment and education sector to incorporate simple changes, such as a wheelchair symbol on an online listed property, to help make them become more inclusive. Further, Shakul Sonker, Co-founder, I-Stem shared his experiences of being a student with visual impairment at Ashoka, and how his stint at the university prepared him to start an initiative focusing on digital inclusion for people with disabilities.
The panel discussion was followed by a pitching competition where students demonstrated their innovations before the industry stakeholders to make Ashoka campus more accessible and inclusive. The students shared product ideas like inclusive bathroom fittings for students, as well as a way-finding app to navigate the university campus with features such as an audio aid, live location, and obstruction detector.