NCPEDP - MphasiS Universal Design Awards Launched - Nominations Invited
For the first time ever in the country, an award to encourage those who have been promoting the cause of 'Accessibility'
Tweet-- In order to encourage those who have been doing exemplary work towards the cause of accessibility and thus ensuring a life of equality and dignity for disabled people, and to popularise the concept of Universal Design, National Centre for Promotion of Employment of Disabled People (NCPEDP), in association with AccessAbility and BarrierBreak Technologies, has instituted The NCPEDP - MphasiS Universal Design Awards. The awards which propagate the need for universal accessibility also aim to create examples and inspiration for other organisations and individuals alike.
Access is the door that opens the world to a disabled person. Education, empowerment, personal happiness, and independence will have no meaning for a person with disability unless the physical environment around him is made fully accessible. This could mean the built environment, technology, transport, and so on. "Accessibility also signifies the true spirit of freedom from dependence on anyone, therefore, we will give this award on 14th August, the eve of Independence Day," says Javed Abidi, Honorary Director, NCPEDP.
The concept of 'Universal Design' means a design that is usable to the greatest extent possible by everyone, regardless of age, ability, or situation. The seven principles that describe characteristics that make designs universally usable are equitable use, flexibility in use, simple and intuitive use, perceptible information, tolerance for error, low physical effort & size and space for approach & use.
Universal Design has attained major ground in the developed nations, but in developing countries like India, this concept is yet to attain popularity. In fact, awareness on Universal Design is close to none and there have been very few attempts to educate architects, designers and others about this. For example, only 0.05% of printed books are available in accessible formats to print impaired people! Only a handful of Indian websites are accessible to people with disabilities!! And, most television programming is not accessible to hearing impaired people in India!!! These are just a few examples.
The NCPEDP - MphasiS Universal Design awards will cover accessibility in the following fields:
1. Built Environment
2. Transport
3. Information and Communication Technology
4. Services
5. Aids and Appliances
The awards will be given under three categories:
- CATEGORY A: PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES Awards in this category will be given to people with disabilities who have created an impact in accessibility and Universal Design in any of the areas such as built environment, transport infrastructure, service provision, information and communication technology (ICT), universally designed consumer products, mobility & independent living aids, or assistive technology in their personal/professional capacity. The work that the person has done can be in policy framework, grass-root level implementation, design and development, access audits, or even the rights movement/advocacy.
Every year, this award will be given out to 3 people across the country.
- CATEGORY B: WORKING PROFESSIONALS Awards in this category will be given to people who work for the cause of accessibility and Universal Design in any of the areas such as built environment, transport infrastructure, service provision, information and communication technology (ICT), universally designed consumer products, mobility & independent living aids, or assistive technology. She/he may be an employee of an education institute / NGO / corporate / government body that has taken up the cause, or may be a consultant or freelancer who has devoted her/his time for the cause. Her/his individual contribution to the cause is a major reason for the success achieved by the organisation/firm/movement. She/he may also be an individual who is involved in the cause independent of any organisational support and has achieved significant success in the core objective of gaining accessibility for disabled people. Awards in this category will be given out to ensure that many dedicated people who have involved themselves in the cause get due recognition. This will not only help in sensitising the rest of the non-disabled community, but will also encourage young minds to join the cause as a career option.
Every year, this award will be given out to 3 people across the country.
- CATEGORY C: COMPANIES/ ORGANISATIONS Awards in this category will be given to those companies or organisations who have taken up the cause of accessibility and Universal Design in any of the areas such as built environment, transport infrastructure, service provision, information and communication technology (ICT), universally designed consumer products, mobility & independent living aids, or assistive technology. Companies/ organisations that have implemented either/ all of these within their organisations, which has led to them to recruiting or serving people with disabilities and providing them equal opportunities to participate to the best of their abilities. These companies/organisations can be a role model for the rest of the society, and recognizing their efforts and giving them the encouragement will help the cause to reach out to many more. These can be any type of an education institute / NGO / corporate / government body - private sector, public sector, joint sector, SME or even proprietorship/partnership firms. The selection criteria will not only be for adopting accessibility policies, but also for implementing them at the workplace.
Every year, this award will be given out to 4 companies/ organisations across the country.
The last day for receiving nominations for The NCPEDP - MphasiS Universal Design Awards is 15th July 2010. For the nomination form please mail at: secretariat@ncpedp.org
Notes to Editor
About National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP)
National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (N.C.P.E.D.P.) was registered as a Trust in 1996, with a Board of Management which has representation from industry, N.G.O.s, disabled people and international agencies. N.C.P.E.D.P. stresses the need to move away from traditionally held views of charity and welfare to those of productivity and empowerment of disabled people.