PANAJI
The Office of the State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities in Goa will on July 1 begin an ‘access audit’ of all educational institutions in the State in a bid to align educational institutes with the National Education Policy (NEP) and the provisions outlined in the Rights of Persons with Disability Act, 2016.
State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, Guruprasad Pawaskar informed that an access auditor has been appointed to visit all the government and aided schools, and colleges in Goa under the purview of the Directorate of Higher Education, including Goa University.
“A report will be prepared to be submitted to the Education department for further necessary action. This is in line with our endeavour of creating an inclusive society,” he said.
In this regard, all heads of educational institutions in Goa have been directed to extend full cooperation to the representatives to facilitate the completion of the access audit.
“The audit will pave the way for an inclusive education system, fostering equal opportunities and empowering individuals with disabilities. The audit, which will begin on July 1 is a crucial step towards improving accessibility in schools, colleges, and higher education institutes,” Pawaskar further said.
The audit will evaluate the existing infrastructure and conduct interviews with teachers and staff to understand the specific needs and challenges of each institution. The post-audit changes will involve creating accessible pathways, ramps, railings, tactile paths, Braille and multilingual tactile signs, and accessible toilets. The audit report will also suggest strategies for providing “reasonable accommodations” to students with disabilities, such as relocating classrooms to the ground floor and modifying exam paper formats for students with learning difficulties.
