In the recent past, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has been taking various measures to meet the accessibility and universal design targets as mandated by the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016. One of the most notable policy initiatives in this direction is the notification of UGC Accessibility Guidelines and Standards for Higher Education Institutions and Universities (2022). These guidelines have been published in the government of India Gazette and circulated to all the higher education institutions for implementation. The set guidelines and standards envisage that every higher education Institute should create an accessibility framework which can facilitate the disability inclusive environment right from the stage of admissions up to the award of mark sheets for persons with disabilities and other students with special-needs.

For an objective assessment of the performance of higher education institutions in matters of accessibility, reasonable accommodation and universal design as prescribed in the said UGC Accessibility Guidelines, and accessibility audit tool has been developed under the guidance of experts, and the same is now being executed in select institutions. A group of 46 Higher Education Institutions across the country have been selected for this purpose, and University of Hyderabad (UoH) is one among them. Accordingly, a three-member expert committee consisting of a UGC official and two experts in matters of accessibility and disability policy visited the University of Hyderabad on 17 January 2025 and conducted the accessibility audit of the campus.

The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. B J Rao briefed them about the accessibility initiatives being undertaken by the UoH. The Empowered Committee for Differently Abled Persons (ECDAP) made a presentation in that regard, after which the expert team took a university tour to see for various facilities available for persons with disabilities.

The expert team spent the whole day visiting the North, the South and the East campuses, interacted with staff and students with disabilities, and spoke directly to the personnel in-charge of various facilities and administrative units. They also enquired from the non-disabled students about their perception of students with disabilities, various facilities available for them, and how inclusive they feel.

It was quite a spontaneous interaction, and students responded promptly that the UoH campus is quite an inclusive space and they never consider their disabled counterparts in anyway different from them. They further said that students with disabilities function quite confidently in the campus, participate actively in all curricular and extracurricular activities and receive extra support wherever required.

After a day-long campus tour, the expert team interacted with the Vice-Chancellor and the University officials and said that they were really impressed by the proactive measures being taken by the University administration in creating accessible environment, in providing reasonable accommodations, in developing and running special facilities, and in offering extra support for persons with disabilities.

The team members made a special mention of the heightened awareness on disability needs and issues in the University, which is clearly reflected in the fact that the human assistance is readily available for students and staff with disabilities in all functional units at all times. The major takeaway for the visiting team was that the UoH had started the accessibility initiatives well before they became a statutory mandate in the country.

The members of the expert team said in unison that they carry many useful lessons observed from the best practices followed at UoH and that they would suggest them for other higher education institutes to replicate.

The Vice-Chancellor, the Registrar and the Coordinator of the ECDAP thanked the expert team for their time and effort.