Lack of infrastructure for the disabled rued

Suggestions, including a university, for solutions such as assistive technologies and creating zones for the people with disabilities were made at the national conference on 'Assistive Technology for All-2030' which began here on Friday.

At the inaugural event of a two-day conference by Mobility India to celebrate its silver jubilee, the Karnataka commissioner for persons with disabilities V S Basavaraju rued that the disability sector lacks infrastructure.

Underlining the need for collective efforts, Basavaraju said the assistive devices should be available at affordable prices.

Today, if you want to reach people, the only way is to produce good quality affordable assistive devices, which can be used by not just NGOs or professionals but by anybody, Bavaraju said adding, Today if you walk into any medical store, these should be available.

The commissioner suggested a project wherein a two-km-radius in and around Mobility Indias Bengaluru office can be completely accessible place for everybody.

We need to come out with a project that actually changes the way people with disability are thinking about themselves and the society thinking about them because a project like this can bring a huge shift in the way we are thinking today," he said.

Speaking on the occasion, the communication and political advisor of the International Committee of the Red Cross Surinder Singh Oberoi regretted that most of the artificial intelligence-related devices were costly.

He insisted that these equipment be made available for the last mile in the rural areas.

He said he wished to see Mobility India, which works for the disabled, turn into a university.

I would like to see Mobility India turning from a training institution into a university. This is the institution, which is giving 100 per cent jobs," Oberoi added.

Vice-chancellor of Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences Dr S Sacchidanand appreciated the idea of creating zones which are friendly for the people with disability and turning Mobility India into a university.