THE HINDU Editorial Vocabulary- January 6, 2018 - Topic 1

Enabling a law

Rights of the disabled

The Supreme Court has struck a blow for the rights of the disabled, with a direction to the Central and State governments to provide full access to public facilities, such as buildings and transport, within stipulated deadlines. People with a disability form 2.21% of India’s population according to the 2011 Census. They have had a law for two decades to enable their full participation in society, but successive governments have done little to realise those guarantees.

 Now, in response to a public interest petition filed by a visually handicapped activist, the court has issued a series of orders: that all government buildings should be made accessible by June 2019; half of all government buildings in the capital cities should meet accessibility norms by December this year; the Railways should present a report in three months from December 15 on implementing station facilities; 10% of government public transport must be fully accessible by March 2018; and advisory boards should be formed by the States and Union Territories in three months. The court’s directions should be welcomed by the government and service providers as an opportunity to steer policy and practice towards a universal and humane system. For too long, planners and designers have built infrastructure for use only by able-bodied individuals, ignoring the aspirations of those with disabilities, and the letter of the law.

A transformation requires governments to also harness the power of newer technologies. Geolocation is one, and it enables targeted provision of services. It is eminently feasible, for instance, to aggregate the travel requirements of disabled people with the help of information technology and smartphones, and provide affordable shared transport using accessible vehicles. Given the emphasis on smart cities and upgraded urban facilities, such schemes should be given the highest priority and start-up ideas roped in. Railway stations and access to train carriages continue to pose hurdles for not just the disabled, but even elderly travellers. The Railways should embark on an urgent programme to retrofit all stations, and try simple solutions such as portable step ladders to help board and exit trains, since level boarding is not possible in most places. Cost is not the barrier to improving facilities; what is in short supply is the political will to change the design of public facilities and stick to professional codes. The Supreme Court said in a 1998 order on a petition seeking air travel concession, that while cost was a consideration, the true spirit and purpose of the law could not be ignored. Today India, which is richer than it was then, and has passed a new law in 2016 to strengthen the rights of the disabled, should demonstrate the will to implement it.

Vocabulary

Blow: an act of blowing on an instrument.

Example: A number of blows on the whistle

Synonyms: toot, blast, blare, whistle

Antonyms: affirmation

Stipulate: demand or specify a requirement, typically as part of a bargain or agreement.

Example: He stipulated certain conditions before their marriage

Synonyms: specify, set down, set out, lay down, demand, require, insist on, make a condition of

Participation: the action of taking part in something.

Example: Participation in church activities

Synonyms: involvement, part, contribution, association

Antonyms: non-involvement, nonparticipation, non-engagement

Accessible: able to be reached or entered.

Example: The town is accessible by bus

Synonyms: reachable, attainable, approachable, obtainable, available

Antonyms: trackless, out of reach, unavailable, unreachable, remote

Steer: a piece of advice or information concerning the development of a situation.

Example: The need for the school to be given a clear steer as to its future direction

Synonyms: confidential information, bullock, tip, lead

Aspiration: a hope or ambition of achieving something.

Example: He had nothing tangible to back up his literary aspirations

Synonyms: desire, hope, dream, wish, longing, yearning, aim, ambition

Antonyms: aimlessness, avoidance, carelessness, heedlessness, neglect

Aggregate: formed or calculated by the combination of many separate units or items; total.

Example: The aggregate amount of grants made

Synonyms: total, combined, gross, overall, composite

Antonyms: distributive, single

Affordable: inexpensive; reasonably priced.

Example: Affordable housing

Synonyms: low-cost, low-priced, affordable

Antonyms: expensive

Emphasis: special importance, value, or prominence given to something.

Example: They placed great emphasis on the individual's freedom

Synonyms: prominence, importance, significance, value, stress, weight, accent

Concession: a thing that is granted, especially in response to demands; a thing conceded.

Example: The strikers returned to work having won some concessions

Synonyms: compromise, allowance, exception

Demonstrate: clearly show the existence or truth of something by giving proof or evidence.

Example: Their shameful silence demonstrates their ineptitude

Synonyms: reveal, bespeak, indicate, signify, signal, denote, show, display

Antonyms: local, inexplicit, implicit, slow