Sugamya Indore campaign:Audit finds 121 buildings without lifts, 60 without ramps; 93 missing wheelchairs in city offices

To address the challenges faced by persons with disabilities in accessing government and private buildings across the city, the administration is running the ‘Sugamya Indore’ (Accessible Indore) campaign. Under this initiative, 20 teams are inspecting various buildings. So far, inspections of 188 buildings have revealed that 121 do not have lifts, 60 lack ramps, and 93 do not have wheelchairs. Parking facilities for persons with disabilities were also not available in 116 buildings, while only 51 buildings were found suitable for them. Indore has more than 70,000 persons with disabilities of different age groups, yet their access to and facilities in government offices remain quite limited. Reality revealed in audit The highest number of inspections were conducted in buildings under the Zila Panchayat. Among the deficiencies found, 25 buildings lacked disabled parking, 30 lacked wheelchairs, 18 lacked ramps, 48 lacked lifts, and 18 lacked accessible toilets. A total of 22 Postal Department buildings were inspected, of which 21 lacked parking, 22 lacked wheelchairs, 17 lacked ramps, 21 lacked lifts, and 22 lacked accessible toilets. Out of eight Police Department buildings, seven lacked parking, eight lacked wheelchairs, seven lacked ramps, eight lacked lifts, and six lacked accessible toilets. So far, five Revenue Department buildings have been inspected; all five lacked parking, three lacked wheelchairs, two lacked ramps, five lacked lifts, and four lacked accessible toilets. Out of 14 Industries Department buildings, most facilities such as ramps, wheelchairs, lifts, and toilets were available, but separate disabled parking was not found in any of the buildings. So far, a total of 188 buildings have been inspected under the ongoing survey. These include 14 MPIDC and DIC offices, 8 Municipal Corporation buildings, 6 IDA offices, 4 medical colleges, 5 private colleges, 2 Housing Board offices, 5 MPEB offices, 1 District Education Center, 10 Tribal Welfare Department offices, 14 LDM-Banker units, 23 hotels, 10 NGO–Social Justice establishments, 22 post offices, 3 Nagar Panchayats, and 49 buildings across four Janpad Panchayats. The inspection process is still underway, and further assessments will be conducted. After completion, a comprehensive report will be submitted to the Collector. Which teams are investigating? The audit teams are required to thoroughly inspect accessibility arrangements for persons with disabilities in buildings and submit reports with photographs. Teams will check whether entry and exit widths are between 900–1200 mm, whether ramps meet the 1:12 slope standard and have proper railings, whether facilities for the visually impaired include Braille boards, sound signals, and tactile guiding blocks, whether provisions for the hearing impaired include visual indicators and information boards, and whether other facilities such as accessible toilets, reserved parking, and waiting areas for persons with disabilities are available.