Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, V. Vidyavathi on Tuesday said all new Tourism projects in the country will mandatorily have facilities and amenities for the physically challenged people.
With numerous historical monuments yet to have full access for the specially abled people, Vidyavathi said, “All the new projects, whatever projects sanctioned by the Ministry of Tourism, having facilities and amenities for the physically challenged is a mandatory component of what we are sanctioning.”
“This is something that we will do as default in going forward,” she added.
There is a call for making all the historical monuments disabled-friendly as most museums and monuments in India remain inaccessible. Few have done work on accessibility, but they are also only wheelchair accessible. Interestingly, till date, no measures to make information and communication accessible for the deaf or people with learning or cognitive or sensory disabilities.
It may be mentioned that the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment few years back launched Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan- an initiative for enhancing accessibility, creating awareness and sensitization for creating a universal barrier free environment was taken by the Central Government by launching the Accessible India.