Changemakersaathi- Young leaders
Subhash Chandra Vashishth also known as “The People’s Lawyer”, is an accomplished lawyer in India known for his relentless fight for justice and human rights.
SpecialSaathi is honored and privileged to feature Subhash Chandra Vashishth as our first ChangemakerSaathi : Young leaders. Subhash is advocating for disability rights and promoting accessibility and universal design in the built environment in India.
Subhash Chandra Vashishth is an advocate and throughout his career, he has dedicated himself to fighting for the rights of persons with disabilities and creating a more accessible world for everyone.
Subhash realized that accessibility was a major issue in India and that much needed to be done to improve it. This led him to cofound the Centre for Accessibility in Built Environment Foundation, an organization dedicated to promoting accessible design and ensuring that buildings and public spaces are accessible to all.
Throughout his career, he has worked on many landmark cases that have helped to change the way persons with disabilities are treated in India.
In addition to his legal work, Subhash is also a public speaker and a blogger on disability rights issues. He has given talks at many universities and conferences and have published articles in several leading legal forums and journals. His hope is to raise awareness about the challenges faced by persons with disabilities and inspire others to join the fight for a more inclusive world.
Subhash has a diverse educational and a professional background, with a professional degree in law and economics, industrial relations, social work, and developmental therapy (Cerebral Palsy & Other Neurologically Disabling Conditions). He also qualified University Grants Commission (National Eligibility Testing) [UGC (NET)] for Lectureship in Labour Welfare & Personnel Management.
He has also completed a GIAN course on “Universal Design and Accessibility Planning : an interdisciplinary approach to Inclusive Environments” from the Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee, India.
Subhash was proud to serve in the Indian Air Force and is a veteran.
Subhash’s passion and expertise in accessibility, universal design, and inclusion is making a positive impact in the lives of people with disabilities and promoting a more inclusive society. Subhash reading and writing interests basically lies on disability rights, inclusive education, accessible mobility, transportation, and liveable habitats.
Subhash’s unwavering commitment to justice and his relentless fight for rights for persons with disabilities inspires many young lawyers and activists in India.
Through his tireless efforts, Subhash is making a positive impact in the lives of people with disabilities and promoting a more inclusive world.
So, If you are a parent seeking to better understand your rights and looking for ways to empower your children, we recommend visiting Subhash’s website http://www.subhashvashishth.com which offers valuable resources and information to help you make informed decisions and advocate for your child’s specific needs.
Subhash’s extensive work experience summary
- He is a Certified Professional in Accessible Built Environments Level III Expert (CPABE Level III), the first in India to achieve this credential.
- He is Co-Founder of Centre for Accessibility in Built Environment Foundation.
- He is a Joint Secretary of National Association of Blind (Delhi).
- He is also the Country Representative, India for the G3ict / Smart Cities for All, an initiative that collaborates with cities, governments, civil society & private sector in making global cities more inclusive in the context of the UN SDGs #11, the UN Habitat III New Urban Agenda and the UN CRPD.
- He is an Accessibility, Universal Design and Diversity Inclusion Specialist, Design Thinker, Disability & Gender Justice Advocate and a Blogger with an interest in Inclusive Mobility and Transportation, Inclusive Smart Cities, Sustainability, Inclusive Water and Sanitation, Walkability, Cycling, NMT and Liveable Habitats.
- As an advocate, Subhash litigates in the High Court of Delhi and Supreme Court of India.
- He is the proprietor of ‘Vashishth and Associates’ – a new Delhi based legal firm that specializes in matters related to Human Rights, Disability Rights, Public Interest Litigation, Civil Suits, Family Law, Service Law, Company Law, Consumer Law, etc.
- He conducts capacity building sessions for a variety of stakeholders and has conducted numerous workshops, training on disability equality, gender inclusion, accessibility audits; Universal Design, inclusive services, disability law and policy, RTI, child rights, women rights, public interest litigation etc. for lawyers, social workers, gender activists, design professionals, civil engineers, architects, educationists, service providers in transportation, hospitality, aviation, rehabilitation etc.
- He is an Expert Member for Accessibility on Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) Sectional Committee on National Building Code (NBC) (CED12) and has contributed substantially to the accessibility provisions incorporated in NBC 2016.
He was also on the Core Committee of Ministry of Urban Development, Govt of India for ‘Harmonised Guidelines and Space Standards on Barrier free Environment for Elderly and Disabled Persons’ which were first notified under Sec. 15 of Rights of Persons with Disabilities Rules 2017 as the Guideline for designing accessible Built Environment in India.
- He is an Expert on POSH (Prevention of Sexual Harrassment of Women at workplace) and has been on Internal Committees of several organisations and has led investigations as a legal consult on the Internal Committees of Govt. departments and Public Sector Undertakings as well.
- He is also a Member on :-
- Standing Committee on Accessible Transportation and Mobility (AME50) of Transportation Research Board of National Academies, USA.
- Bureau of Indian Standards Sectional Committee on Smart Cities (CED 59).
- Committee of Experts constituted by University Grants Commission, Ministry of Education, Govt. of India for preparing Comprehensive Guidelines on Accessibility, Pedagogy and Curricula for Students with Disabilities in Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs).
- He has been nominated by Department of Social Welfare, Govt. of Delhi as a non official Member on the Advisory Committee of Experts constituted under sub-section (7) of section 79 the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016 to assist the State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, NCT of Delhi with effect from 02nd June 2022 for a tenure of three years.
*The information on Subhash Chandra Vashishth ChangemakerSaathi story has been sourced from http://www.subhashvashishth.com
