“Accessibility Cannot Be an Afterthought”: DEPwD Calls for a Whole-of-Government Approach to Sugamya Bharat

The Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, organized a consultation titled "Sugamyata Ka Sankalp" in New Delhi to assess the progress of the Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan and discuss its future priorities. Officials called for a coordinated, whole-of-government approach, emphasizing that accessibility across sectors like education, healthcare, employment, and public infrastructure must be embedded at the design stage rather than treated as an afterthought. Launched in 2015 and aligned with the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, the initiative brought together various central ministries, state representatives, civil society, and experts to deliberate on sector challenges, data implementation, and measurement frameworks for accessibility.