Sarve Bhavanti Sukhinah/ Sarve santu Niramayah
Sarve Bhadrani Pashyanti, Ma Kashchid Dukh Bhag Bhaveta

Let every one without distinction be happy. Let every one be without any ailment. Let every one look like Arya, noble and righteous. Let there be no one to have any share of sorrow or grief.

A Sanskrit shloka from a traditional Indian Inscription with a translation in English

.........."Welcome to the Blog".........

We need your inputs for this blog to build a body of knowledge that would help in strengthening the Universal Design concept in design education and design practice in the country. We would also like to share your related projects or experiences addressing different needs of the diverse population.


Friday, January 14, 2011

UPCOMING THREE DAY UNIVERSAL DESIGN WORKSHOP ON 3rd, 4th & 5th MARCH 2011

NATIONAL STUDENT DESIGN COMPETITION ON DESIGN FOR ALL / UNIVERSAL DESIGN
CULMINATING WITH
A THREE DAYS WORKSHOP
THAT WILL SHAPE WHAT YOU THINK, CREATE AND BUILD
AT
SCHOOL OF PLANNING AND ARCHITECTURE, BHOPAL

We at SPA-Bhopal are glad to receive an overwhelming response for the ‘National Student Design Competition on Design for All / Universal Design’ with seventy six registrations representing thirty colleges around the country. The registered student teams will now start their work based on the design brief in consultation with their faculty advisors, and will submit their work by 15th February 2011. Considering large number of entries evaluation will be done in two stages, 1st stage short listing will be done by a team of experts to select 10-12 entries. The 2nd stage final evaluation of the short-listed entries will be done through presentation by representative members of the team to select two winners. Final evaluation will be coupled with a three days workshop on 3rd, 4th & 5th March 2011, with world-known Universal Design Experts. The three days of the Universal Design workshop will give a unique experience through intense interaction and hands-on experiences and will help develop an insight to what designers think, create and build.

National Student Competition at SPA-Bhopal was launched on it's Foundation Day by Prof Abir Mullick from Georgia-Tech, USA. Prof. Mullick is a strong proponent of Universal Design and one of the authors of Seven Universal Design Principles. He also lectured on  'Universal Design Perspective to Address Social Inequalities and Promote Democratic and Community Living' 
 

Prof E.F.N. Rebeiro, an Eminent Urban Planner, Chairman BOG, SPA-Bhopal and former Director SPA-Delhi, lectured on 'Emerging Integrated Frameworks for the Built Environment in India'

Few more glimpses of foundation day, Director, SPA-Bhopal Prof.Ajay Khare, presenting overview of the institute and cultural function 

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

National Centre for Universal Design and Barrier-Free Environment (NCUDBE)

Task Force set up to work out details for setting up of National Centre for Universal Design and Barrier-Free Environment (NCUDBE)


Delhi , October 29,2010 13:39 IST

Source: Press Information Bureau, Mumbai India
http://pibmumbai.gov.in/scripts/detail.asp?releaseId=E2010PR1958

The Centre has constituted a Task Force to work out the details for establishment of the proposed National Centre for Universal Design and Barrier-free Environment (NCUDBE) which was envisaged in the Eleventh Five Year Plan as a national body to facilitate and support the development of universal design and barrier-free environment.



The Task Force, set up by the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, has been mandated to examine in detail the need for setting up of NCUDBE, its structure, possible role and functions, its scope in the R&D in the area of assistive technology, implementation modalities and its manpower and financial requirement etc.



The Task Force will also give its recommendations on the extent to which it should do R&D in house and support R&D efforts by other agencies. It will also dwell upon the issue of the National Centre’s structure that whether it should be set up as an independent entity or under the umbrella of a suitable existing institution like the National Institute of Design or the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).



The Task Force is headed by Prof. Samir K. Brahmachari, Director General of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research and will have members from the National Institution of Design, Ahemdabad and School of Planning & Architecture, New Delhi. The Task Force will also have nominees (one each) from the Central Government’s Departments of Telecommunication and Information Technology. The Joint Secretary in charge of the Disability Division in Ministry of Social Justice will be the Convenor and Ex-Officio Member and Director of Deendayal Uppadhaya Institute for the Physically Handicapped, New Delhi will be the Member-Secretary of the Task Force.



Besides the Plan Document, the establishment of such a Centre is also obligatory under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to which India is a signatory. Article 2 of the Convention describes “Universal Design” as the design of products, environments, programmes and services to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design. Article 4 of the UN Charter lists it as general obligation to undertake or promote research and development of universally designed goods, services, equipment and facilities which should require the minimum possible adaptation and the least cost to meet the specific needs of a person with disabilities, to promote their availability and use, and to promote universal design in the development of standards and guideline.



It may be recalled that last month, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment had invited proposals from the States for central assistance to provide barrier free environment in public buildings including State Secretariat, Collectorates, Main Hospitals, Universities and other important State level offices to ensure that these are accessible to the People with Disabilities. The proposals have been invited after making significant increase in the annual budget of the Scheme for Implementation of PwD Act from Rs. 15-20 crore annually to Rs. 100 crore for the year 2010-11. The central assistance will also be given to make the Government Websites at the State and District levels accessible to PwDs.