Students with disabilities will hold a protest on Wednesday demanding a more disabled-friendly campus from Delhi University authorities.

A month back they had submitted an application to university authorities regarding safety on roads, said a member of DU cross disabilities association (DUCDA).

“A week ago another reminder was sent but to no effect,” added the member.

The members also carried out a signature campaign where around 700 students showed their solidarity.

“An orthopaedic disability student met with a major accident recently in north campus. We are demanding safety on the roads. Although there are tactile paths in north campus for the visually challenged students, most of them are badly planned,” said Kapil Kumar, a visually challenged postgraduate sociology student from Delhi School of Economics.

“Half the time while walking on these paths we bump into poles and trees. Incidents of visually challenged students falling into pits have also come to light,” he added.

The students complain that they are being ignored.

“Though there is an equal opportunity cell (EOC) in the university to guide the differently abled students, it is always over burdened. Everywhere we go, we are directed to EOC which has limited resources and capacity. The proctor is handling EOC, but  it should have an independent incharge to address our problems more effectively. Our issues have always been sidelined,” he said.

The students are also demanding to make disabled-friendly hostels and toilets.

“Very few colleges, not even the prominent ones, have toilets specially constructed for physically handicapped students. Khalsa College may have one as one of the teaching faculty is disabled,” said Shakti Kumar Agarwal adding in hostels like Gwyer Hall, it is impossible to move in a wheelchair.

“Its entrance has steps. There is a boys' hostel for disabled students that too is under Delhi government. There are no hostels for differently abled women students,” said Agarwal.

The students are demanding a separate elected body on the lines of Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) to better represent them.

“There is a stray dog problem in every hostel. Once a visually handicapped girl fell into a pit where a dog was lying and got bitten. The differently abled students are terrorised to walk on the footpaths, so they walk on the sides of the roads. That's equally dangerous,” added Agarwal.

While DU has around 1,500 differently abled students, many of them blind.