The Enabling Unit is the PWD cell and one of the most important official domes of Swami Shraddhanand College. It facilitates academic pursuits of differently abled students through reading and writing. This, in continuation of earlier Equal Opportunity Cell (EOC) in college, was established in August 2009 as directed by the University Grants Commission. All the differently abled teachers, non-teaching staff and students of college are its members. The unit is headed by one, I of the physically challenged faculty members for the tenure of two years by rotation as appointed by the principal of college on recommendation of unit. Mr. Bijay Kumar Padhan is serving as its present coordinator. Other teacher members are Mr. Manish Sharma from Department of History and Mr. Pankaj Lakhera from Department of Political Science.

From its very inception, The Enabling Unit acts as a bridge between college administration and the differently abled students. The unit has been engaged in promoting development of accessible infrastructures and providing a suitable environment for academics for physically challenged students as well as teachers.

The unit has endavoured to make all important places in the college accessible. For this purpose, ramps have been constructed in different places of the college premises. The Unit has established a lectured series in the name of great activist on Disability named Hellen Keller and has successfully organized two seminars. In the near future, the Unit is planning to organize a One-day seminar on the Disability issues in the near future.

Keeping in mind the basic facilities for physically challenged students and teachers, three disabled friendly toilets have been constructed on each floor of the college building respectively. Even the old campus of the college is having such facility.

The Unit is also proposed to refix hand rails on all the stair cases which would help the physically challenged persons to climb up and down the stairs. Along with the hand rails, the stair cases would be painted with yellow and blue colours so that the low vision persons may use them properly. The unit also recommends to construct tactile paths on all floors the college building to make all the places accessible to totally visually impaired persons. Apart from the physical accessibility, the college under the guidance of Enabling Unit has also provided reading accessibility to the visually challenged students and teachers. A computer laboratory for them has been set up in the new campus. The lab is equipped with three computers along with scanner and printers, loaded with upto date screen reading software. The college library has a good collection of E-text books. One important initiative of the college has been to provide the visually challenged students and teachers with laptops for reading purpose. All the visually challenged students have also been provided with Engels (the computerized audio recorders) by the college to make their teaching learning process more accessible.

The Unit is committed to all round development of differently-abled students. For this purpose, they are encouraged by the faculty to participate in various co-curricular activities both at the college and university levels. Some of our students have also performed extremely well in these activities.

The Unit also helps the physically challenged students at the time of admission through the agency of facilitation counter for differently-abled students. The college has always ensured maximum admission of such students in the college. Not only this, the Unit has taken proactive stand whenever there is any problem regarding identification of teaching and non-teaching posts for persons with disabilities or proper implementation of reservation as provided under the Persons with disabilities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation Act 1995. It is also actively working in search of suitable scholarship from different platforms for the differently abled students.

Last but not the least, it is the endevour of the Enabling Unit to sensitize all the persons in the college to understand the needs and the requirements of specially-abled students and to help them in all respects so that they could also participate in all the activities in the college and realize their full potentials.

Divyangjan Friendly Initiatives Report (2018-2022)

Physical Facilities for Differently abled Persons.