5-6% of India's population is affected
by disability. Conservative estimates suggest that at least 70 million
people in our country have one disability or the other. It was only
in 1995 that a law was enacted to guarantee them some of their rights.
It has been over 13 years since the passage and enactment of the Disability
Act 1995 and yet it remains only on paper. Recently the Government of
India ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities
on 1st October 2007. In that year, the XIth Five Year Plan was also
formulated which contains a pretty detailed section on disability. It
has been more than a year now but these instruments also remain only
on paper. Whether it is the area of education or employment or basic
health, disabled people continue to suffer. Educational institutions
don't always follow the 3% reservation and even if they do, the campus
is totally inaccessible to a student with disability. Most government
employers have not fulfilled the 3% quota either and the private sector
continues to remain as insensitive as ever. One of the biggest needs
of the disabled people is accessibility and a barrier-free environment
and nothing has been done in this regard either. If a disabled boy or
girl, man or woman cannot even step out of his or her home and when
the public transport is totally inaccessible, the public buildings are
not barrier-free, than how does he or she attain education or go to
a job or just live a simple living. It is as much the right of a disabled
person to be able to go to cinemas or shopping or to a public park as
any other citizen of India. We strongly feel that the time has come
for the Indian Government to focus urgently and specifically on the
needs and aspirations of India's 70 million disabled citizens. We propose
to set up a separate Ministry for their cause, namely the Ministry of
Disability Affairs. We will also ensure that the Disability Act, the
UNCRPD and the XIth Plan are firmly acted upon in letter as well as
in spirit. Disability is no longer a charity or a welfare issue. It
is very much a rights issue. A disabled citizen has the same right on
this Nation and its resources as any other person. Therefore, the cause
of the disabled cannot be left only to the Ministry of Social Justice
and Empowerment. All Ministries, particularly the key Ministries like
Health, HRD, Railways, Rural Development, Urban Development, Information
and Technology and so on will have to realise their responsibility towards
this very important issue. We will ensure that each of these Ministries
realise their responsibility and in the light of the above three instruments,
draw detailed plans and guidelines and that a minimum of 3% of their
total budget is allocated towards this purpose. |
Partners National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People
 Diversity and Equal Opportunity Centre
 DRDF Disability Research and Design Foundation |
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Elections 2009 > Note submitted to all major parties |