Punjab Commissioner for Disabled Persons

Mr D S Guru is the new Punjab Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities under "The Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995", which became operative on February 7, 1996.

Taking over the post, the first action that Mr Guru has taken is to take steps to create awareness in the departments concerned and a "barrier-free" environment for the physically disabled, who use a wheelchair or are ambulatory disabled. He did this by addressing letters to the Secretaries dealing with Transport, the PWD, Local Government and Education (school and higher, technical and medical) urging them to ensure "free access, entry and use of public places". All have been told to ensure that physically disabled persons, who use a wheelchair, were able to wheel-in to every place, including toilets, in the existing buildings.

The Act alone will not help achieve what the physically disabled need. Mr Guru, therefore, has emphasised that wherever possible suitable architectural changes should be made to create a "barrier-free" environment. For the future the Chief Architect has been instructed to ensure that buildings conform to the Act, wherein the requirements for the physically disabled are laid down.

There is a reservation quota for the disabled in admissions, jobs, etc. But it is seldom adhered to. The Commissioner would see to it that it was implemented.

India has a large population of disabled, 100 million. It is expected to further increase substantially by 2020 due to the rapidly changing demographic profile and the morbidity pattern. It is estimated that out of 40 million blind persons in the world, 13 million are Indians. Unfortunately, in most of the States this Act remains in limbo. In Punjab, a survey has revealed there are 2,48,540 disabled persons of all categories out of which 1,45,076 are physically handicapped and the rest mentally retarded, hearing, speech and visually impaired.

Source: Hope for physically challenged, The Tribune India, May 14, 2002, Chandigarh