Persons with Disabilities Act be implemented strictly in states: Prasanna Kumar Pincha

Chandigarh, August 8, 2013: To provide Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation of the Persons with Disabilities the Act related to Persons with disabilities should be strictly implemented in the states.

Prasanna Kumar Pincha Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India after said this after reviewing the status of the implementation of the Persons with Disabilities Act in the state.

He appreciated the initiatives of the Punjab Government rationalising the policy for issuing Disability Certificates as now single doctor is made competent to issue Disability certificate and build laws are also being amended by the Punjab Government to make barrier free buildings for disabled persons. He also appreciated the Punjab Government’s steps taken for the recruitment of persons by reserving 3% seats for the disabled persons and Punjab is the only state who has adopted reservation policy in promotions for disabled.

He said that Governments and the local authorities with a view to preventing the occurrence of disabilities surveys, investigations and research concerning the cause of occurrence of disabilities should be under taken and various methods of preventing disabilities should be promoted, children should be screened at least once in a year for the purpose of identifying "at-risk" cases. He said that  awareness campaigns, pre-schools, schools, primary health Centers, village level workers and anganwadi workers should be used for creating awareness amongst the masses and other mediums such as television, radio and other mass media should be utilized for awaring people regarding causes of disabilities and the preventive measures.

He said that it should be ensured that every child with a disability has access to free education in an appropriate environment till he attains the age of eighteen years, endeavor to promote the integration of students with disabilities in the normal schools,  Promote setting up of special schools in Government and private sector for those in need of special education, in such a manner that children with disabilities living in any part of the country have access to such schools and endeavor to equip the special schools for children with disabilities with vocational training facilities.

He said that the appropriate Governments shall initiate to develop new assistive devices, teaching aids, special teaching materials to give a child with disability equal opportunities in education. Provide every child with disability free of cost special books and equipments needed for his education. He further said that adequate number of teachers' training institutions and other voluntary organizations to develop teachers' training programmes specializing in disabilities.

He said that steps should be taken to provide transport facilities to the children with disabilities or in the alternative financial incentives to parents or guardians to enable their children with disabilities to attend schools and curriculum should be restructured for the benefit of children with disabilities. All educational institutions shall provide amanuensis to blind students and students with or low vision.

Pincha said that posts should be identified in the establishments, which can be reserved for the persons with disability and posts should be reviewed after every three years. He said that reservation of vacancies should not be less than three per cent for persons with disability. He said that the relaxation of upper age limit, regulating the employment, Health and safety measures and creation of a non-handicapping environment in places where persons with disabilities are employed, the manner in which and the person by whom the cost of operating the schemes is to be defrayed and constituting the authority responsible for the administration of the scheme.

He said that the schemes to favour persons with disabilities schemes should be framed for the preferential allotment of land at concession rates for Houses, setting up business, setting up of special recreation centers,   Establishment of special schools, Establishment of research centers,  Establishment of factories by entrepreneurs with disabilities. He said that special measures should be taken provide facilities for travel in rail, buses and aircrafts

Prasanna Kumar Pincha Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India alongwith T.D Dhariayal Deputy Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India on a two day visit to Punjab held meeting with various Punjab Government Departments, NGO’s, Persons with disabilities. Apart from this he also met Chief Sectary Rakesh Singh.

Other prominent who attended the meetings were Roshan Sunkaria Principal Sectary Social Securities, Samir Kumar Commissioner Disablities, Gurkirt Kirpal Singh Director Social Securities, P.K Goyel Additional Sec. Social Securities.