NCPEDP - Mphasis Universal Design Awardees Announced
First time ever, awards in the field of Accessibility have been established in the country
Tweet-- The National Centre for Promotion of Employment of Disabled People (NCPEDP), in association with AccessAbility and BarrierBreak Technologies, recently announced the awardees of The NCPEDP - Mphasis Universal Design Awards. These awards, instituted to spread awareness on Universal Design will be given away every year to those who have been doing exemplary work towards the cause of accessibility and thus ensuring a life of equality and dignity for disabled people.
The winners of the NCPEDP - Mphasis Universal Design Awards are as follows:
CATEGORY C (Companies & Organisations): a) ITC Royal Gardenia, b) Sight Savers, c) Yahoo! India, and d) Wipro Ltd.
CATEGORY B (Working Professionals): a) Mr Ferdinand J. Rodricks from Ferro Equip (Mumbai), b) Dr. Gaurav Raheja, Asst. Professor, Dept. of Architecture &Planning, IIT Roorkee, c) Mr M.S. Raju from Vision Aid Charitable Services Society (Vishakhapatnam)
CATEGORY A (Persons with Disabilities): a) Mr. Imtiyaz Ahmed Kachvi, a retail shopkeeper based in Haveri (Karnataka), b) Dr Sam Taraporevala, Associate Professor & Head, Dept. of Sociology, St. Xaviers College, Mumbai & c)Ms Sunita I. Sancheti, Associated with Meena Foundation Mumbai
The members of the jury who announced the awards here today included Mr. Som Mittal, President, NASSCOM (Chairer of the Jury meeting), Dr. Govind, Senior Director, Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Ms. Papiya Sarkar, Architect, CPWD, Ministry of Urban Development, Mr. Vinnie Mehta, Executive Director, Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA), Dr. Meenu Bhambani, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, MphasiS an HP Company
Accessibility not only means access to physical spaces but also means access to information, technology, transport, services, aids and appliances, etc. The NCPEDP - Mphasis Universal Design Awards are instituted to recognise & acknowledge organizations and individuals who are playing a pivotal role in making life more accessible for the disabled community. The awards which propagate the need for universal accessibility also aim to create examples and inspiration for other organisations and individuals alike.
"Access symbolizes the true spirit of freedom as far as persons with disabilities are concerned. These awards would therefore be given away on 14th August, the eve of our Independence Day," said Javed Abidi, Honorary Director, NCPEDP.
An effort has been made to make the logo of the awards resemble the true spirit of freedom & celebration for the disabled community. The rationale behind the logo of the NCPEDP -
Mphasis Universal Design Awards is:
- The figurine form is more evolved, suggesting the aspect of having succeeded in one's pursuits
- Suggests freedom
- Brings out celebration
- Has a dynamic quality about it
- Suggests a forward motion
In time, these Awards will gain tremendous recognition and credibility and will encourage more and more people to work in the field of promoting access and Universal Design.
The awards are given under three categories:
- CATEGORY A: PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES Awards in this category are 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.
- CATEGORY B: WORKING PROFESSIONALS Awards in this category are 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.
- CATEGORY C: COMPANIES/ ORGANISATIONS Awards in this category are 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.
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.