Nagaland Legislative Assembly complex lacks basic facilities for persons with disabilities

KOHIMA — The Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) complex lacks basic facilities for persons with disabilities including toilets, accessibility to the galleries and assembly hall where policies of the state are decided.

This was apparent during the joint access inspection carried out by Nagaland State Commissioner of Persons with Disabilities Diethono Nakhro in the complex on Thursday. She was accompanied by the legal team and staff of NLA. 

The galleries and sitting areas of the assembly hall, where representatives sit during the proceedings of the assembly, are “completely inaccessible” to PwDs. This is very important and they need to take action, she observed while stressing the need to make accessibility a way of life.

The official said the persons with disability community is looking forward to political participation and hope to see members of the assembly. If persons with disability becomes a representative one day what will happen? Where is he or she going to conduct the session if one becomes an NLA Speaker, she asked while underscoring the need to make the complex accessible to all.

At times, persons with disabilities may also want to get exposure to the assembly proceedings and how it work but without accessibility, it is not possible. A high-profile public place like NLA should be accessible to everyone, she observed. 

It was informed that watch and ward takes care of disabled persons who come to the complex, which the commissioner termed ‘most undignified way’ to handle them.

On non availability of even a single toilet for persons with disability in the huge complex, Nakhro said it is a “huge problem”.

All such facilities should be available from the beginning so that any citizen who comes to the complex can be a part of it. When buildings are made accessible, everyone benefits from it, she said, adding that NLA complex is an important public place and all facilities should be incorporated at the drawing stage.

The provision of accessibility is included in both the Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995, which is now replaced by Right of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 (RPwD) and non-accessibility in the buildings should not be an excuse, contended Nakhro.

She recommended converting one of the toilets in each floor of the complex for the PwDs, which are usually unisex. It is not about making it accessible to only the disabled persons but about making entire environment as accessible as possible for all, she said.

Steps taken at NLA complex

Meanwhile, the commissioner acknowledged some steps being taken at the NLA complex, saying that accessibility is so much better there than in some other departments; the hallways and corridors are big and spacious, allowing the PwDs to move around freely.

She further suggested that NLA staff can think of a special drive to ensure PwDs are part of the workforce. 

On the purpose of the visit, she said the office of the State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities is a monitoring body for the implementation of the various provisions in the RPwD in the state. It is their responsibility to work with the government, to push the government authorities and agencies and even the private sector for the implementation of various provisions in the Act, and accessibility — environment, communication, information and transport system — is one of the most important provisions.

The office will be giving an order and directive recommending the NLA to take action.

Speaking about accessibility in Nagaland,

Starting from zero level

Speaking about the Nagaland scenario in terms of accessibility, Nakhro said it is still “very poor” though there is progress in the past few years. ‘These were neglected in the past and the state is starting from zero level in every aspect of the disability sector. So there is still a lot of work to be done,’ she observed.

The state government been proactive in taking necessary action and various departments have initiated actions such as constructing ramp and installing lift, but that’s not enough as various aspects of accessibility have to be considered.

‘There are many aspects to accessibility, but in the physical environment itself, if someone cannot enter building or move around freely inside the building, if there are no facilities like toilets for person with disability, then how can they be able to carry out the work in that building or in any public places. This is one of the most important aspects, which is why the inspection was carried out,’ she pointed out.

‘In most buildings including the new ones, the doorways and halls are small that they (PwDs) can barely go in. Even after getting inside, there is no seamless accessibility where one can independently move around,’ she said. 

Though the state has a long way to go to make accessibility a culture, she said the people are more aware and the government knows that it would get into trouble if it doesn’t implement all the provisions of the Act properly.

‘We want to make sure that awareness becomes better among everybody, the general public in our society, so that we don’t have to keep on pushing and pressing all these kind of things and it just becomes part of life, a way of life, a way of life for everybody,’ said the commissioner.