Ashoka University concluded its second edition of 'Building Foundations for Inclusive Higher Education' conclave at the India Habitat Center (IHC).
The event brought together experts from universities, institutions, and NGOs from across the country to discuss about creating more inclusive higher education systems for students with disabilities.
A report titled 'Access to Higher Education: An Unresolved Challenge for Students with Disabilities', was released by Reena Gupta, Director of the Office of Learning Support (OLS) at Ashoka University, and Neha Trivedi, Founder of Spandan. The report examines the barriers students with disabilities face and offers recommendations to Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) on how to address these issues.
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The event saw participation from over 100 key stakeholders in government, academia, and industry, including Rina Sonowal Kouli, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Higher Education, Dr Pankaj Mittal, Secretary, Association of Indian University; Dr Jagdish Arora, Advisor, National Board of Accreditation; Dr RK Chadha, Ex-Additional Secretary at Parliament of India, Lok Sabha; Ipsita Mitra, Deputy Secretary, Policy, Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities & Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Neha Trivedi, Founder of Spandan: Inclusion and Accessibility Consultancy Services; Dr Homiyar Mobedji, Disability Expert, Program Management – Asia & Africa, Benetech and Dr Piyush Chanana, Head, National Center for Assistive Health Technologies (NCAHT) at IIT Delhi amongst others.
“At Ashoka University, we believe that true excellence in education can only be achieved when it is accessible to all. This initiative represents our dedication to fostering an inclusive environment where students with disabilities can thrive. Today's discussions mark another step toward creating a truly democratic higher education system, which will play a critical role in India's overall success,” said Prof. Somak Raychaudhury, Vice-Chancellor of Ashoka University.
The Conclave featured four dedicated Idea Labs that explored critical themes, including building support structures and reasonable accommodation frameworks at HEIs, strengthening accessible library systems and educational content accessibility, facilitating access to assistive technology for students in higher education, and empowering faculty as agents of inclusive teaching, mentioned the press release.
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