The differently-able people say they are feeling very bad about the larger community who treat them differently.“

Kashmir’s Disabled Lament Apathy

Despite an Act, no support coming

Zahid Maqbool

Srinagar: On the world disabled day, differently-able people in Kashmir are fighting for the basic rights amid the lack of implementation of J&K disabilities act laws from government and as well partial behavior from general public.

The J&K persons with Disability Act 1998 guarantees equal opportunities, protection of rights and full participation has failed to empower people with disabilities because of negligence from successive regimes.“We had thought that it would help us now, but unfortunately it has hardly decreased our miseries. No one cares for us. Even after passing of more than 10 years law is not implemented” said Javed Ahmed Tak, Chairman,Humanity welfare organization Helpline an NGO.

The persons with disabilities also alleged that there is no provision or proper arrangement for education of their kind.“There is no school with appropriate teaching facilities where children with disabilities can continue their education through special educators and appropriate learning material. There is no feasible curriculum available with the state board and the universities in our state. There is no faculty for sign interpretation in our lone school for these children”. Tak said.

Talking about the discrimination of disabled children with other normal students in examinations he said, “Some physically disabled students have less healthy upper limbs or arms still they have to compete with the normal students. No extra time is given to students for answering the questions. Even in some cases where helper is allowed, no extra time is given to students.”

The differently-able people have even accused corporate houses of discrimination in employment and lack of provision in facilitating the movement of these people while constructing corporate buildings.
“There is no facility for facilitating our entry in corporate offices. I will give you an example of central corporate office of banks. I cannot go inside the building on my wheel chair. It is not only me, if tomorrow they will employ someone like me , how he will go up with it every day. There are no special software’s for Braille in ATM’s” .

The differently-able people say they are feeling very bad about the larger community who treat them differently.“Last time I went to an office for some official work. The officer told his subordinate to give him ten rupees.” I felt very bad. They think everyone on wheel chair is a beggar”
The Indian railways have barrier free entry in trains and railways stations but in Kashmir they have failed to provide so.

“We cannot go inside the train with wheel chair. It is not possible for us. As the entry is constructed in such a way that it becomes impossible for us to go inside” said, Hilal Mir.