‘Disha-Divyang-Suraksha’ to protect disabled persons

Visakhapatnam : The hashtag ‘Access to justice and safety for all’ gets a new lease of life as the city police roll out their first-of-its-kind endeavour ‘Disha-Divyang-Suraksha’.

With an aim to come together to ensure access to all sections and advocate inclusivity, the endeavour was launched by commissioner of police A Ravi Shankar.

Elaborating about the initiative, the commissioner said, “It provides immediate assistance and ensures the safety of individuals with disabilities.”

Even as the groundwork for the initiative began weeks before, the city commissioner of police launched it on Saturday by providing dedicated helpline numbers for the disabled persons.

The contact numbers 7337324466, 7337434422 can be dialled in case of any distress faced by the disabled persons.

These dedicated helplines operate twice every month, with the support of a sign language interpreter.

Terming it as the first-of-its-kind initiative in the country, curator and founder of Poornamidam, a digital platform that works towards architecture, environment and disability-related research and advocacy, Kavya Poornima Balajepalli said that they are extending support for the promotion of ‘Disha Divyang Suraksha’ across the nation.

Through the support of concerned ministries, Poornamidam also intends to take the initiative forward across the nation.

Also, posters of ‘Disha-Divyang-Suraksha’, highlighting the toll-free numbers will be displayed at public spaces.