IIT Delhi Takes Multiple Initiatives for the Empowerment of Students with Disabilities

• Adjustable height tables, elevated wheelchair making labs and experiments more accessible
• Accessible e-cart acquired
• Ramps in classrooms, braille signage in lifts, braille name plates in use
• Portable, accessible restroom for persons with disabilities installed

New Delhi: Over the past year, 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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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. 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.

“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.

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. The students with disabilities on campus praised the multiple efforts being taken by the Institute for their welfare.

“I’m really impressed by the inclusive environment IIT Delhi provides. People here are really supportive and helpful and have helped me find my sense of belonging here,” Ravish Jha, a B.Tech. student with a disability, said.

“The Office of Accessible Education and IIT Delhi have taken several steps to include our community with the campus tempo and academics; now we are like a big family,” Gopal Saha, another B. Tech student with disability, said.

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 organised in 2023, and the second iteration was celebrated in 2024. Winners and participants were lauded for their efforts through cash prizes and certificates.

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. Teams from various institutions, such as Jawaharlal Nehru University, Kirori Mal College (Delhi University), and Ashoka University, participated in the sporting event.