On the occasion of Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) 2025, a landmark Stakeholder Consultation was held at the Office of the Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities (CCPD) in Dwarka, New Delhi. The programme marked the celebration of the success of the Sugamya Dwarka Abhiyan and the formal launch of Sugamya Delhi Abhiyan, a citizen-government partnership aiming to make the national capital inclusive and accessible for persons with disabilities.

Organized by CCPD, in collaboration with the Inclusive Divyangjan Entrepreneur Association (IDEA), the consultation brought together over 100+ experts, NGOs, CSR leaders, private companies, and government officials, both in person and online, to support the Sugamya Delhi Abhiyan.

The event witnessed the Member of Parliament from South West Delhi, Smt. Kamaljeet Sehrawat, declaring her full support to the campaign and became a Purple Ambassador to promote accessibility in Delhi. “We need a collective public responsibility to identify and eliminate barriers—whether in government or private infrastructure. Let’s make accessibility a shared mission,” she emphasized.

Dr. S. Govindraj, Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, committed his active support to the campaign and expressed interest in personally visiting accessible sites developed under the initiative. IDEA, led by its founder Shri Mallikarjuna Iytha, has empowered over 1500 persons with disabilities as entrepreneurs and created 5,000+ jobs, envisions Delhi as the capital of inclusion.

Sugamya Dwarka to Sugamya Delhi: A Model in the Making

The Sugamya Dwarka Abhiyan, has in just 15 days of its launch created significant grassroots impact. More than 70+ public and private buildings across Dwarka—including government offices like the National Institute of Social Defence, MCD, NHAI, schools, universities, banks, malls, parks, bus stops, and footpaths—have been assessed for accessibility.

Over 500 people including experts, volunteers, and stakeholders have been engaged in the process.

Representatives from several assessed sites attended the consultation, publicly pledging their commitment to improve and maintain accessibility standards.

Purple Building Certification & Accessibility Guidelines for Events Launched

A major highlight of the event was the introduction of the Purple Building Certification Scheme, an initiative by AMTZ, in collaboration with ICMR and IDEA. The certification aims to standardize and promote accessible infrastructure using a tiered evaluation system across India. IDEA also launched its Accessibility Guidelines for Events, providing practical tools for organizers to make public events more inclusive.

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VM

(Release ID: 2129182)