APD Launches Fellowship, Honors Top Accessibility Districts

The Association of People with Disability (APD) recently held its "Circle of Collaborations" event in Bengaluru, marking significant advancements in disability accessibility. APD launched its Policy Research Fellowship, designed to foster data-driven research aimed at enhancing institutional accountability and policy implementation.

At the same event, APD honored the top five districts that have made substantial contributions to its Yes to Access (YTA) platform. This platform serves as a crucial tool, enabling citizens to report local accessibility data, thereby helping individuals with disabilities, their caregivers, and allies identify accessible locations.

The "Circle of Collaborations" brought together key stakeholders from government, industry, and civil society to champion evidence-based strategies for accessibility and inclusion. The discussions were particularly relevant given the recent Karnataka High Court guidelines on improving building accessibility, underscoring the need for better data and community engagement.

Sukanto Aich, CEO of APD, emphasized the need to move from policy intent to tangible impact, stating that accessibility requires robust policy, evidence, community participation, and sustained collective action. The newly launched fellowship and the YTA platform are central to APD's agenda of driving systemic change through research and citizen-led engagement.

Dr. Manik Gursal, Secretary of the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Government of Maharashtra, highlighted the importance of ensuring persons with disabilities can participate fully in everyday life with dignity and independence. This requires a long-term societal commitment to equity and shared responsibility, reflecting the evolving landscape of disability inclusion in India.