PATNA, May 22 -- A month after the Bihar State Legal Services Authority (BSLSA) urged Patna's district education officer (DEO) to conduct a district-wide accessibility audit of schools for children with disabilities, the exercise is yet to begin, exposing gaps in the state's response to inclusive education and its sensitivity towards such children. BSLSA member secretary Dharmendra Kumar Singh had, in an April 23 letter, asked the DEO to assess accessibility facilities in government and private schools and ensure corrective measures for barrier-free education in line with Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016. However, Patna DEO Saket Ranjan on Thursday appeared unaware of the communication. "How can I conduct an audit of schools? As DEO, I do not have the resources to do so," he said, adding that the education department can ideally undertake such an exercise. The proposed audit, according to BSLSA assistant registrar Sia Shruti, seeks to examine physical, academic, communication and digital accessibility in schools to ensure inclusive education with dignity and equal opportunity for differently abled children. The standard operating procedure (SOP) envisages an audit team comprising education department officials, technical experts, special educators and para-legal volunteers, with possible participation of NGOs working in disability inclusion. The audit would cover ramps, wheelchair-accessible pathways, handrails, toilets, classroom arrangements and drinking water facilities, besides the availability of Braille materials, large-print books, assistive devices and support from special educators, said Shruti. The SOP also proposes assessing sign language support, visual aids, accessible notice boards, evacuation plans, lighting, safe movement pathways and assistive technology in computer labs, she added. The exercise would involve interaction with school authorities, teachers and students, including children with disabilities, followed by grading of schools on accessibility and recommendations for corrective measures. Schools would be required to address basic accessibility gaps within a fixed timeline, while larger infrastructural changes would be taken up under future budgetary provisions. The audit process is proposed to be completed within 30 to 60 days, followed by periodic reviews and awareness programmes for teachers and staff....