Sacred Heart College (Autonomous), Chalakudy, is committed to creating an all-encompassing and caring environment for Divyangjan. This policy outlines the institution’s commitment to ensuring equal opportunities, accessibility, and support for Divyangjan students, teaching and non-teaching staff.
Objectives
- To promote inclusivity and diversity within the college community
- To create suitable and robust regulatory mechanisms for effective delivery of services.
- To ensure equal access and full participation in educational, employment, and extracurricular opportunities.
- To provide necessary accommodations and support for Divyangjan.
- To foster an environment of respect and dignity for all members of the college.
- To ensure implementation of all legislations for Divyangjan.
Scope
This policy applies to all Divyangjan students, teaching and non-teaching staff at Sacred Heart College (Autonomous), Chalakudy.
Sense Conveyed
‘Divyangjan’ are individuals with physical, sensory, intellectual, or mental health conditions that may require accommodations for full participation in college activities. Reasonable accommodation signifies adjustments or modifications provided to enable Divyangjans to perform their roles or access services on an equal basis with others.
Policy Statements
- The college will not tolerate any form of discrimination against Divyangjan in admission, employment, or access to facilities and services.
- The college will ensure that its infrastructure, including buildings, classrooms, laboratories, libraries, and online resources, is accessible to Divyangjan.
- Provision of necessary support services such as counselling, assistive technologies, and personal assistance to Divyangjan members of the college.
- All personal information regarding the Divyangjan status of individuals will be kept confidential and disclosed only with the individual’s consent.
Implementation Strategies
Physical Infrastructure
- Ensure buildings have ramps, elevators, and accessible restrooms where the Divyangjan inhabit.
- Classrooms and lecture halls equipped with hearing loops and visual aids.
- Reserved parking spaces for Divyangjan .
Academic Accommodations
- Flexible exam schedules and additional help (in the form of scribe) and time for Divyangjan.
- Provision of study materials in accessible formats.
- Use of assistive technologies in classrooms and laboratories.
- During admission, government reservation policy is applicable for all Divyangjan.
- Ground-floor classrooms for students with mobility challenges.
Employment Practices
- The College is committed to follow the reservation policies of the Government.
- Fair recruitment processes that provide equal opportunities for Divyangjan candidates.
- Workplace adjustments to accommodate the needs of Divyangjan teaching and non-teaching staff.
- Regular training and awareness programs for staff on inclusivity and disability sensitivity.
Support Systems
- Dedicated support centre for Divyangjan to provide guidance and assistance.
- Availability of counselling and mental health services.
- Peer mentoring programmes to support Divyangjan students.
Policy Review and Feedback
- Annual review of the policy to ensure its effectiveness and relevance.
- Periodical feedback sessions with Divyangjan to identify areas for improvement.
Grievance Redressal
- Divyangjan can report grievances related to discrimination, lack of accessibility, or inadequate support to the designated committee.
- The college will promptly investigate complaints and take appropriate actions to resolve them.
- Individuals unsatisfied with the resolution can appeal to higher authorities within the college.
Responsibilities
- Ensure implementation and compliance with this policy (College).
- Participate in training, provide necessary accommodations, and support Divyangjan (Staff).
- Foster an inclusive environment and report any issues related to accessibility and discrimination (Students).
In effect, Policy on Divyangjan is a step towards ensuring that all members of the college community have the opportunity to thrive, succeed and suffer from zero discrimination. Sacred Heart College (Autonomous), Chalakudy is dedicated to promoting an inclusive and accessible environment for differently abled students, teaching and non-teaching staff.
