Hindustan Times (Lucknow) - Hindustan Times (Lucknow) - Live
SRCC SCORES A FIRST WITH SPECIAL NEEDS CANTEEN
This Delhi college has a canteen for the physically disabled students to cater to their mobility needs
Talk of disabled-friendly campus in Delhi University (DU) and the name of Miranda House pops up. But do you know that Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) has an extension of its canteen, which is specially designed for 4-5 physically disabled students enrolled in the college? In fact, SRCC is the first college in DU to do so.
“There are two canteens in the college. The one on the first floor caters to everyone, and the other on the ground floor is specially for disabled students. The canteen was built about a yearand-a-half ago, keeping their needs in mind. It’s a fully airconditioned canteen with a dedicated seating arrangement and an intercom (for students to order food) connecting it with the first floor. We have also constructed a wheelchair ramp, to make it convenient for them to reach this canteen and enjoy their meal like the rest of the students,” says RP Rustagi, principal, SRCC.
The college has all basic facilities for wheelchair bound students. “There are students with partial blindness and minor disorders who can walk up to the first floor canteen, but wheelchair-bound students can’t do that. The canteen is basically to make them feel a part of the college,” explains Rustagi, adding, “In the coming years, when the number of disabled students would increase, may be the canteen will be better utilised.”
Raju, who has been running the canteen since 1981, says, “The order placed from the canteen for disabled isn’t much. Kuchh `250 se `300 ka order aata hai, kyunki bachche kam hain.”