'LONG WAY TO GO'

Disabled students are bullied and harassed on campuses and get little support. The number of disabled persons in higher education has dropped 14% from 2019-20 to 2020-21.

- R. Radhika

Amit Kapuri, a third-year undergraduate student of hisA tory at Jadavpur University was terrified to step out of his loud" hostel room after a "disturbingly ragging episode in October last year. Kapuri, partially visually-impaired, was verbally abused, mocked for his disability and made to do difficult tasks by an ex-student, still residing in the New Block hostel after graduating.

"Around 11 pm, two friends and I were sitting in the hostel compound and suddenly [the ex-student], inebriated, began shouting slurs and abused us. He was making fun of my disability without any provocation. I was told that ragging was considered to be a bonding exercise between the seniors and juniors and decided not to report the incident," Kapuri told Careers360.

The incident, unreported, did not affect the perpetrators but made Kapuri's life at hostel difficult. "I was told not to step outside the room or be seen around to be spared abuse or harassment. I was horrified at his tone and the way he shouted at me," he recalled.

Access to education has become a nightmare for students like Kapuri who are not only dealing with harassment and abuse but also forced to push authorities for action.

Higher education regulator, University Grants Commission (UGC) and All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) have asked colleges and universities to implement Accessibility Guidelines and Standards for Higher Education Institutions and Universities' to provide easy access to higher education to persons with disabilities (PwDs). However, there are innumerable gaps in implementation.

According to the guidelines, universities must ensure that all buildings and facilities are wheelchair-accessible and disabled-friendly; develop bridge courses for students from disadvantaged educational backgrounds, and provide socio-emotional and academic support through counselling and mentoring.