Thiruvananthapuram: The department of senior citizens’ welfare on Friday launched the elder-friendly office certification (EFOC), described as the first such certification system in the country, to make public offices and other institutions more accessible to senior citizens.Under the scheme, govt and semi-govt offices, as well as private institutions that voluntarily participate, will be awarded gold, silver or bronze certification based on their performance against common standards. The certification will cover institutions ranging from village and taluk offices to hospitals, banks and transport counters.The initiative seeks to address difficulties commonly faced by senior citizens, including long queues, staircases without handrails, forms printed in small type and service counters located on upper floors.Offices will be assessed across five areas — building accessibility, service delivery, staff training and conduct, communication, and participation. These will account for 30%, 25%, 20%, 15% and 10% of the total score, respectively.Step-free entry, a ground-floor toilet, a priority queue for senior citizens and an officer assigned to attend to their needs will be mandatory for certification. Offices failing to meet any of these requirements will not qualify, regardless of their overall score.A score of 85% or above, with no individual domain scoring below 60%, will earn a gold certificate. Scores between 70% and 84% will qualify for silver, while scores between 60% and 69% will receive a provisional bronze certificate. Gold and silver certificates will be valid for five years, while bronze certification will be valid for two years and will require confirmation following reinspection.Ten percent of certified offices will be subject to unannounced inspections each year. Site visits and scoring will be conducted by independent third-party agencies empanelled by the department. A nodal cell will maintain the registry, while a state-level steering committee will approve the standards and decide on gold awards.The scheme draws on the elder-friendly office model in Sharjah, the World Health Organization’s Age-Friendly Cities network and the Certified Age-Friendly Employer programme in the United States. Technical standards for ramps, signage and toilets will follow national guidelines issued in 2021 under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act.The pilot phase will begin within the current financial year after the standards are finalised and assessment agencies are empanelled. One office in each of Keralam’s 14 districts will be selected for the pilot within six months.In the second year, the scheme will be extended to village, taluk and collectorate offices, treasuries, regional transport offices and govt hospitals. From the third year, it will cover more institutions. Private hospitals, nursing homes and pharmacies will also be allowed to participate voluntarily on a paid basis.Certified institutions will receive a plaque and a QR-coded digital certificate, and their names will be listed on a public registry. Gold-rated offices will also receive priority under schemes linked to the silver economy programme.
