WORLD DISABILITY DAY Differently abled demand rehabilitation, more schools

WORLD DISABILITY DAYDifferently abled demand rehabilitation, more schools Take out rallies, stage protests to seek better living conditionsOur Correspondent Srinagar, December 3 Expressing dissatisfaction with the government policies and facilities provided to them, scores of disabled people took out rallies to register their protest on World Disability Day today. Policemen detain a member of the Jammu and Kashmir Handicapped Association in Srinagar on Tuesday. Tribune photo: Amin war Demanding rehabilitation, the protesters rallied across the City Centre, press colony and Lal Chowk with posters reading: "Construct schools for deaf", "Understand our sufferings". Many non-government organisations (NGOs) launched campaigns and took out rallies to spread awareness among masses. A few NGOs staged protests, urging the government to provide better living conditions to the disabled. Officials of Humanity Welfare Organisation Helpline (HWOH), an NGO fighting for the rights of disabled, said there were nearly 8 lakh people suffering from various disabilities in the state. "The government has adopted charity-based approach towards handicapped. It is providing a stipend of only Rs 400 a month to them," the HWOH spokesperson said. The All Jammu and Kashmir Association of the Deaf urged the government to build schools that could impart technical training to the disabled so that they could support themselves. "There is only one private school for deaf and dumb and that, too, is in bad shape. We want the government to open schools for these people so that they don't feel alienated," said one of the activists. Voluntary Medical Society (VMS), another NGO, launched a signature campaign across all public hospitals in the city to spread awareness about the condition of disabled. "The government has to play an important role in mitigating the sufferings of physically challenged who are being neglected by society," said the organiser of the campaign. Dr Mushtaq Margoob, a psychiatrist, said it was essential to inculcate confidence in the disabled so that they start appreciating their abilities to lead self-dependent lives.

Protest rally, symposium mark World Disability Day Tribune News Service Jammu, December 3 Claiming that there has been no rehabilitation policy for the deaf and dumb in the state, the J&K Association of Deaf and Dumb on the occasion of World Disability Day today staged a protest rally in support of their demands. A special child performs at a function to observe World Disability Day at Government College for Women, Gandhi Nagar, in Jammu on Tuesday. Tribune photo: Inderjeet Singh Vijay Kumar Gupta, president of the association, while addressing the rally, said as per the J&K Persons with Disabilities, Equal Opportunities and Full Participation Act of 1998, 3 per cent quota for the handicapped in government jobs and opening of schools for them in each district had been provided, but the state government was yet to implement it properly. He added that the state government had faltered miserably in providing employment opportunities to the physically challenged persons candidates claiming that they had to meet certain minimum criteria in the form of qualification/expertise. "Though for the last few decades, slow and uneven progress has been made to address these issues by the government, but continuous action at all levels is needed to ensure that physically challenged persons enjoy full and equal participation. The state government needs to set up a vocational training centre to train the deaf and mute children in various trades like electronics, automobile, mechanics, textile, designing etc," Vijay Gupta maintained. Meanwhile, the J&K Handicapped Welfare Association submitted a memorandum of demands to the Chief Minister on the eve of World Disability Day. The association in its memorandum appealed to the government to implement 3 per cent promotion and transfer policy for physically challenged employees, appointment of a full-time Disability Commissioner, reservation in professional colleges and declaration of World Disability Day as a holiday for all physically challenged persons working in government departments. The association also demanded to set up an advisory board on physically challenged persons and health cover with special package for them. World Disability Day was also observed at the Government College for Women (GCW), Gandhi Nagar. The event was jointly organised by the Nirvana Academy and Disabled Care Foundation in collaboration with the NSS unit of the college. Shantmanu Sinha, Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, and Prof Kiran Bakshi, Principal, GCW, Gandhi Nagar, besides other dignitaries were present at the function, which began with the lighting of lamp and followed by welcome address by Prof Kiran Bakshi. An inter-college symposium was organised wherein the winners and participants received trophies and certificates of participation.