‘Sugamya Yatra’ was officially flagged off in Goa on Friday, February 7, 2025, by Minister of the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Subhash Phal Desai. The event was attended by the State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, Guruprasad R. Pawaskar, Secretary Taha I. Haaziq, and Director of DEPwD, Varsha Naik.
Organized by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, this national initiative is currently underway across the country. The Sugamya Yatra aims to raise awareness among citizens about the diverse accessibility needs of Divyangjan and to educate stakeholders on their constitutional and legal rights and responsibilities regarding accessibility.
The teams conducting the accessibility audits were led by officials from SCPD and DEPwD, along with Persons with Disabilities (PwDs), including Abhijit Murugkar, Vishant Nagvekar, Mahadev Sawant, Prakash Kamat, Prashant Raut, Anup Mapari, Rohan Volvoikar, Ritesh Vaigankar, Prasad Joshi, Josefina Fernandes, Muskan Shaik Durga Naik, Gaurish Nagvekar and Lakhan Anandani.
Minister of the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Phal Desai stated: “The Sugamya Yatra is more than just a campaign—it is a movement towards building an inclusive and accessible Goa for all. By assessing and improving the accessibility of our public spaces, we are taking tangible steps to uphold the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities. This initiative reflects our collective responsibility as a society to ensure that no one is left behind. Together, with the support of government bodies, educational institutions, and the community, we are committed to creating an environment where every individual can participate fully and independently in all aspects of life.”
“The Sugamya Yatra is a crucial step towards fostering an inclusive society where accessibility is not an afterthought but a fundamental right. Through this initiative, we aim to create awareness, drive meaningful change, and ensure that public spaces in Goa are truly accessible to all. By working together—government, institutions, and citizens—we can build a future that upholds dignity, independence, and equal opportunities for Divyangjan,” said Pawaskar, State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities.
During the event, 60 students from the Goa College of Architecture, led by Principal Dr. Leon Morenas were divided into 12 groups to conduct audits of various buildings, public spaces, gardens, malls, and restaurants in the capital city, Panaji. Additionally, 50 field assistants and workers from the Department of Social Welfare were divided into 10 groups to assess public buildings across all talukas of Goa.
Notably, four groups comprising persons with hearing impairments, supported by sign language interpreters from the Composite Regional Centre (CRC) under the Ali Yavar Jung National Institute of Speech and Hearing Disabilities (Divyangjan) [AYJNISHD (D)], Mumbai, conducted a comprehensive audit of the Goa University complex. Meanwhile, five groups—including students and faculty from Dnyanvardhini Divyang Training College were assigned to audit locations in South Goa. They conducted access audit of various buildings and public places in and around Vasco
By the end of the day, the initiative successfully audited a minimum of 100 buildings and public spaces across the state.
Sugamya Yatra was launched with the following key objectives:
• To create a network of individuals with expertise, passion, and responsibility toward accessibility
•To utilise technology for data collection and analysis, benefiting public welfare
•To sensitise those in charge of public buildings and campuses about accessibility issues and the importance of inclusive infrastructure
The flagging off of the Sugamya Yatra in Goa marks a significant step toward ensuring accessibility and inclusion for persons with disabilities across the state.
