8 Feb, 2013
India Confers Awards for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Pledges Tourist Sites Upgrade
Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, 06-February, 2013 — The President, Mr Pranab Mukherjee while presenting the National Awards for the Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities-2012 at a function organized by the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment here today. He said that Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights & Full Participation) Act of 1995, is our main legislation dealing with persons with disabilities and the Government is in the process of replacing it with a more comprehensive new Legislation in consonance with the UNCRPD, the President urged the Government to expedite the process and introduce it in the Parliament as early as possible.
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One of the winners is Lemon Tree Hotels, recently featured in this Travel Impact Newswire dispatch (click here). |
The President said Persons with disabilities often face barriers for participating in all aspects of society. Experience shows that when these barriers to their inclusion are removed, persons with disabilities participate fully in societal life and the entire community benefits. Barriers faced by persons with disabilities are, therefore, a detriment to society as a whole and reasonable accommodation is necessary to achieve progress and development for all.
Stressing on assistive devices needed to enable persons with disabilities to lead their lives independently, the President said that it is essential to make aids and computer software and accessories available to all persons with disabilities at a reasonable cost, so that they have equal opportunity for enhancement and actualization of their inherent potential.
The President urged State Governments to appoint full-time independent State Commissioners for Persons with Disabilities at the earliest possible and to equip them with the wherewithal to function effectively for grievance redressal of the persons with disabilities. (See the full text of President Mukherjee’s speech below).
Extending a warm welcome to the President, the Union Minister of Social Justice & Empowerment Kumari Selja said that we recognize that persons with disabilities are a valuable human resource and must be given opportunities to contribute equally with others in national building. The Government is committed to continue its endeavour to empower the Persons with Disabilities with the cooperation of every citizen of the country. With the commencement of the XIIth Plan, we have also commenced the process of planning a major expansion of programmes and schemes in the disability sector for bringing Persons with Disabilities on centre stage in the developmental process.
The Minister said that she was happy to share that during last two years, a sum of Rs. 85 crore was released to various State Governments and other bodies for making their premises/buildings accessible to persons with disabilities.
The Minister further added that for the first time, a sum of Rs.5 crore was sanctioned to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) for making five World Heritage Sites and 25 other ticketed Monuments maintained by it, accessible. These world heritage monuments are the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, Fatehpur Sikri, Sun Temple Konark, and Champaner-Pavagadh. We propose to cover all World Heritage sites and other ticketed monuments of ASI, as rapidly as possible. Further, a sum of about Rs.12 crore was also sanctioned to Jawaharlal Nehru University & Delhi University to make their buildings, hostels, guest houses and libraries accessible.
The Minister informed that the draft new legislation named “Right to Persons with Disabilities Bill, 2012” has been finalized by the Ministry and has been circulated to the States Governments and UTs, for their comments. It will be our endeavour to introduce the Bill in the Parliament at the earliest.
Highlighting the work done in various schemes the Minister said that under ADIP Scheme, disabled persons are provided aids and appliances to promote their physical, social and psychological rehabilitation.The income ceilings and cost of aids/appliances, which were fixed in 2005, are being revised.
The Minister also said that Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India, popularly known as ALIMCO, has been relentlessly serving for the past 40 years Persons with Disabilities, under ADIP and ADIP-SSA schemes, by manufacturing and supplying ISI marked aids and appliances. In the last 40 years ALIMCO has served 38 lakh Persons with Disabilities. Currently, it is serving on an average 1.5 lakh Persons with Disabilities, per annum.
With a view to promote self employment of persons with disabilities and help in their economic rehabilitation, the National Handicapped Finance and Development Corporation provides loan at concessional rate of interest through its partners in the State. NHFDC benefited over 10,625 persons with disabilities during the year 2011-12. The Minister mentioned that the Corporation has developed a special scheme wherein a person with disability can take concessional loan for purchase of assistive devices to enhance his performance on the job, to which in turn may lead to their improved employability. Assistive devices like Screen Reader, Retrofitted mobility aids, Artificial limbs etc. are included in the assistive devices scheme. Recently, the corporation has also developed two online applications. One online application is for scholarships for students with disabilities while the other online application is for education loan.
The Minister said the National Trust for the Welfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities was set up to address the main concern of parents of children with these disabilities – “What will happen to my child when I am no more?” The National Trust, besides working for this mandate, has been organizing, since 2009, an annual pan- India awareness campaign, called “Badhte Kadam”. Under this, more than 500 melas and camps were held across the country spreading awareness and educating people about UNCRPD, Right to Education, and Right to Information and other issues concerning disabilities.
Appreciating the work of the Navshikhar Channel – the first ever channel dedicated for disability, a joint venture of the Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI), Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), and Media Lab Asia (MLA) which telecasts programmes, documentaries and films on different topics in the field of disability rehabilitation, to over 500 centres located all over the country the Minister said that the Council is using modern communication technology to share information on rehabilitation by conducting tele-conferences on various topics from the RCI Studio utilizing services of experts and professionals. In order to improve the coverage in North-Eastern Region, RCI has decided to set up 40 new centres there, for which installation work has started.
The Minister said that from this year, for the first time, a new scheme named Rajiv Gandhi National Fellowship Scheme for students with disabilities has been launched to allow them to pursue M.Phil/Ph.D courses.
In his Welcome address, the Minister of State in the Ministry, Mr D. Napolean said that a new Department on “Disability Affairs” was created to increase the focus on the needs of the persons with disability. According to Census 2001 there were 2.19 crore persons with disabilities in our country. With the shift from medical rehabilitation to social rehabilitation with a rights based approach, there is an increasing recognition of their abilities and with increasing emphasis on mainstreaming them in society including several initiatives taken by the Government, we are hopeful of moving towards a more inclusive society. Rehabilitation and empowerment – the mandate of the Department of Disability Affairs, is a good investment because it builds human capacity. It is this human capability that we have gathered today to celebrate.
Giving information about the Awards, he said that for the year 2012, we received 654 applications within the stipulated time-limit of 31st August, 2012 as compared to 599 applications last year. 48 awards are being conferred of which 11 are to women.
Present on the occasion were Mr Anil Goswami, Secretary, Ministry of SJE, Mrs. Stuti Kacker, Secretary, Department of Disability Affairs.
Presidents Secretariat, 06-February, 2013 – President of India Mr Pranab Mukherjee presented the National Awards for 2012 for the empowerment of persons with disabilities. The following is the full text of his speech:
1. Today, we honor differently-abled individuals, who by the strength of their indomitable will and their remarkable courage, have many achievements. Awards have also been given to Institutions, which have made outstanding contributions to the empowerment of persons with disabilities. Their work is exemplary and shows sensitivity to the needs of fellow human beings.
2. This is an occasion to acknowledge the dignity and rights of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) and to re-dedicate ourselves to their empowerment. Persons with disabilities, often face barriers for participating in all aspects of society. These barriers can take a variety of forms; those relating to physical environment or access to information, or those resulting from legislation or policy or from societal attitudes or discrimination. The result is that persons with disabilities do not have equal access in society to services, including education, employment, health care, transportation, political participation or at times justice.
3. Experience shows that when these barriers to their inclusion are removed, persons with disabilities participate fully in societal life and the entire community benefits. Barriers faced by persons with disabilities are, therefore, a detriment to society as a whole and reasonable accommodation is necessary to achieve progress and development for all.
4. We, as a nation, are committed to the full empowerment of persons with disabilities. The signing and ratification by India of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), which came into effect in May 2008, symbolizes our resolve to move forward on the agenda to provide differently-abled citizens of our country with an environment for their full development and equal participation in the life of the nation.
5. The Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights & Full Participation) Act of 1995, is our main legislation dealing with persons with disabilities. The Government is in the process of replacing it with a more comprehensive new Legislation in consonance with the UNCRPD. I understand that this is a holistic piece of legislation which would entail major responsibilities not merely on the Central Government, but also on State Governments, local bodies, and even private service providers. I, therefore, urge the Government to complete the remaining stages of consultation expeditiously, and to introduce the Bill in Parliament as early as possible.
6. As policy framework is strengthened, we must reinforce our efforts to have better delivery mechanisms for implementation of schemes and programmes, including through effective partnerships with the private sector and civil society. Effective delivery can be the only way in which we can see smiles on the faces of those affected by disabilities.
7. I am happy to note that Government has created a separate Department of Disability Affairs last year. I wish the new department all success. I urge all State Governments to have a similar arrangement in order to give more focus to the issues confronting persons with disabilities. I also call upon the connected Union Ministries of Social Justice & Empowerment, Women and Child Development, Human Resource Development, Health and Family Welfare, Labour & Employment, etc. to work in unison to achieve the desired results.
8. Persons with Disabilities must be enabled through education to get adequate opportunities for gainful employment and their rightful status in society. While the goal of inclusive and universal education is being pursued under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, there is also a need to ensure that children with special needs have access to education, by providing the right kind of teaching-learning environment, material in accessible format and barrier-free educational institutions. There is, therefore, an urgent need to train teachers in adequate numbers to provide education to children with disabilities.
9. We need to remove physical barriers that do not allow persons with disabilities to have access to various facilities and services. Various assistive devices are needed to enable persons with disabilities to lead their lives with independence. Simple aids like hearing devices, limb prosthesis, wheelchairs and Braille writing equipment facilitate mobility and communication, and substantially improve functional capacity. It is essential to make aids and computer software and accessories available to all persons with disabilities at a reasonable cost, so that they have equal opportunity for enhancement and actualization of their inherent potential. Given the widespread and growing use of the internet in various aspects of life, it is vital that at least all Govt. and public sector websites are made universally accessible.
10. Economic empowerment of persons with disabilities needs focused attention. Government is mandated to provide reservation in employment to persons with disabilities. All Central Government Ministries and organizations under their control must take immediate and comprehensive steps to ensure that reservation for this category is effectively implemented in letter and spirit. Backlog of vacancies in all establishments in the Government Sector should be filled as early as possible. I also request the private sector to employ more and more persons with disabilities in their establishments and industries. I am happy that today we are awarding employers of persons with disabilities. This shows that private sector can also play a commendable role in appreciating their special abilities.
11. There is a need to provide training to persons with disabilities so that they can acquire appropriate skills. The government as well as public and private sectors should work hand in hand to improve skill levels of persons with disabilities, thereby enhancing their employability.
12. I am informed that a large number of States have not yet appointed full-time independent State Commissioners for Persons with Disabilities though this ombudsman institution is an integral part of the existing Persons with Disabilities Act and such a mechanism is also envisaged in the UNCRPD. I urge State Governments to appoint full-time independent State Commissioners for Persons with Disabilities at the earliest possible and to equip them with the wherewithal to function effectively for grievance redressal of the persons with disabilities.
13. For many children, the presence of an impairment leads to lack of participation in activities that are part of a normal childhood. Women with disabilities are doubly disadvantaged on account of their gender as well as disability. Elderly persons with disability, in the twilight of their lives, are likely to be neglected and exploited. They need special consideration.
14. While addressing the needs of those with disabilities, it is important that attention should also be on preventive measures. The possibilities of children in the 0 to 6 age group being afflicted by conditions that can lead to disabilities, can be reduced by precautionary measures such as immunization at the right age, control of diseases and infections, improvement of hygiene, better nutrition and better access to healthcare. Government anganwadi workers should be specially sensitized and trained to identify children with disabilities to facilitate earliest possible intervention.
15. In conclusion, I congratulate the awardees and convey my best wishes to them for the future. My special good wishes to those awardees with disabilities – your awards make us all proud as you represent the spirit of hope, so essential for any society to progress. I hope you will inspire many more to come forward and work tirelessly in the cause of disability. Also award winning institutions have demonstrated dedication and commitment and their example will certainly encourage others to come forward to work tirelessly in our effort to make our society more disabled friendly. Let us all, on this occasion, pledge to do our best for the empowerment of persons with disabilities.
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