From the States

Chennai: Adoption of UN Definition of Disability Demanded

India should adopt the more comprehensive and inclusive United Nations definition of disability, say representatives of people with disabilities, while stressing that the current method of classifying autism and cerebral palsy under mental retardation is unacceptable.

At a meeting organized recently by Vidya Sagar, a special school for disabled children, to discuss the proposed amendments to the Persons with Disabilities Act 1995, they sought an identification card, replacing the numerous certificates they had to carry to prove their disability. The certificate of disability should be made permanent and the need to renew it every five years should be scrapped; was there demand.

Representatives from Tamil Nadu, Andra Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Pondicherry and the Andamans narrated their experience and submitted recommendations. They felt professional courses such as engineering, law and medicine should include a subject on disabled friendly environment.

They also sought inclusion of disability as a subject in the UPSC and administrative examinations and B Ed and M Ed courses. Further, it was insisted that the Act should provide for punitive action against schools denying admission to disabled children.

Emphasis was also laid on the following: while private sectors that employ the disabled should be given more incentives, punitive action, including fines and imprisonment, should be taken against discriminators. A person with disability should be made the Chief Commissioner. His role should be specified in the Act and he should be able to act independently.

They sought representation in central and state coordination committees, which would also have the power to penalize discriminators. The Government should have executive committees at panchayat level too.

The representatives wanted a barrier-free environment in place by 2010. They sought 50 per cent allocation for disabled women in poverty alleviation programmes, inclusion of agriculture for the benefit of disabled farmers and erasure of the clause "within economic capacity".

Source: Call to adopt U.N.'s definition of disability. The Hindu, Daily, Chennai, 25 August 2006.