In a significant event held on Monday, 16 December 2024, the Vice Chancellor of University of Hyderabad (UoH), Prof. B.J. Rao formally inaugurated the facility of wheelchairs in all academic units, administrative offices, auditoria, lecture hall complexes and guest houses of the University. UoH, as an all-inclusive campus, has been placing a huge premium in creating accessible environment for people with mobility needs. At a cost of around 5 and half crore rupees the University modified the pathways to major academic and administrative buildings, built ramps and installed elevators 7 years ago, becoming 1 among the 1st few higher education institutions in the country that began investing in accessibility, inclusion and universal design. The wheelchair facility inaugurated on Monday marks another milestone towards accessibility in that direction.
Besides the Vice Chancellor, the registrar Dr. Devesh Nigam, the Director for Institution of Eminence (IoE), Prof. Ghanshyam Krishna, the Chairperson of Empowered Committee for Differently Abled Persons (ECDAP), Prof. Pavan Kumar Pammi, the Deputy Registrar (Estate Section), officials from the Central Procurement Unit, Public Relations Office and other major administrative units, faculty and students attended the inauguration.
Speaking briefly on the occasion, the Vice Chancellor emphasised the sensitivity of the university administration for accessibility and inclusion. He directed that these wheelchairs be kept available readily for anyone who needs them when they enter a building, be maintained properly, and that the buildings themselves be made wheelchair friendly, wherever required.
The wheelchairs were procured by the ECDAP with a generous funding made available by the IoE. They are handed over to all schools, special centres, auditoria, lecture hall complexes, guesthouses and all other buildings used as public facilities. The estate section will take the charge of appropriate allocation and maintenance of these assistive navigational devices. The ready availability of wheelchairs in all buildings now makes the indoor accessibility a reality at UoH campus.