On Wednesday, 8th January 2025, I for Humanity Foundation and Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), under its flagship scheme Smart Cities Mission, launched the 'Accessible Cities' initiative. This initiative aims to develop inclusive cities for diverse groups like elderly, persons with disabilities, women, and children.

An MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) was also signed between the I for Humanity Foundation and MoHUA to develop accessible infrastructure under DAY NULM and PMSvanidhi Mission and provide financial aid and livelihood support for specially-abled street vendors and self-help groups.

The MoU was signed at MoHUA, Delhi by Shri Rahul Kapoor (Joint Secretary, Smart Cities Mission) and Mrs. Juhi Rajput (Founder, I for Humanity Foundation) in the presence of Hon’ble Minister of State, Shri Tokhan Sahu Ji and other dignitaries.

Shri Tokhan Sahu Ji appreciated the initiatives and urged participants to pledge to implement universal design principles in all projects. He emphasized that this initiative aligns with India's Accessible India Campaign (Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan), launched by Hon’ble Prime Minister in 2015.

Accessible Cities Initiative:

Launched through the 'Alliance for Inclusion and Accessibility', the goal is to guide 100 cities to adopt universal design principles in their projects, including:

• Residential and commercial buildings
• Public spaces, streets, parks, and recreational areas

In the first phase, 10 cities have been shortlisted:

• Chandigarh, Sagar, Satna, Jabalpur, Dehradun, Belagavi, Pune, Raipur, Lucknow, and Varanasi.

Mrs. Juhi Rajput also announced other initiatives like:

• Accessible Housing & Commercial Buildings: Mandatory universal guidelines for State RERA Acts.
• Accessible Hospitality: Guidelines for hotels and resorts.
• Accessible Banking: Accessibility for bank branches and ATMs.
• Accessible Elevators: Guidance for elevator manufacturers to adopt universal design.

Shri Rahul Kapoor, JS and Mission Director, Smart Cities Mission, commended the I for Humanity Foundation for its commitment and affirmed that the Smart Cities Mission will take all necessary actions to make 100 cities accessible and inclusive and set an example for other cities.