Those contributing towards ensuring a life of equality and dignity for people with disabilities were presented with the National Center for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People NCPEDP-Mphasis Universal Design Awards 2014 here today.
Awards were given away in three categories which include persons with disabilities, working professionals and Corporates or Organisations 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) and aids and appliances.
This year's awardees include Prashant Madhukar Naik, who has worked for accessible technologies and financial inclusion for the blind, Arun C Rao, who has worked on deaf rights and developing the Indian Sign Language, Professor Kavita Murugkar who has worked on incorporating Universal Design in university curricula.
CHILDLINE was given award for making their servcies accessible for people with disabilities. Wipro was awarded for their continued efforts in the area of diversity and inclusivity while Kickstart Cab was give the award for providing an accessible cab service for people with disabilities.
"Access signifies independence for people with disabilities. Look at the scenario - less than 2 per cent people with disabilities have access to financial inclusion; only 0.05 per cent printed material is accessible to the blind; and Indian Sign Language is not even a recognised language. Amidst all this, the work of our awardees is pioneering and inspirational for others," said Javed Abidi, Honorary Director, NCPEDP.
NCPEDP in association with AccessAbility and BarrierBreak along with the support of MphasiS, instituted The NCPEDP - MphasiS Universal Design Awards in 2010.
