Survey Report of NCCD in Asian and the Pacific

The achievement of full participation and equality of people with disabilities requires the active collaboration of diverse government agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), including those which traditionally have not worked in the disability field. National coordination committees on disability (NCCDs) can play a vital role in promoting such collaboration. They can serve as national focal points on disability matters and facilitate collaboration among diverse government agencies and NGOs to produce comprehensive national responses to the changing needs of people with disabilities. One of the aims of the Agenda for Action of the Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons, 1993-2002 is the establishment in each country and area of Asia and the Pacific of such a committee as a permanent body with adequate infrastructure support.

Generally, NCCDs, serve to:

  • Advise on all ongoing policies and programmes which affect the lives of people with disabilities, including policies in sectors other than social welfare (e.g., labour, transport and communications, law, finance, information and broadcasting, local administration, and science and technology);
  • Promote and assist multi-sectoral collaboration among different government departments and NGOs in their activities on behalf of disabled persons;
  • Ensure the explicit inclusion of people with disabilities in new national development agendas by examining all development policies and programmes, prior to their finalization and adoption, for sensitivity to the promotion of the full participation and equality of people with disabilities;
  • Formulate national policy and programmes concerning the full participation and equality of people with disabilities as well as promoting, monitoring and evaluating the implementation of these.
  • Coordinate national and subnational activities to implement the Agenda for Action for the Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons, as well as monitor and evaluate activities to promote the Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons at the national and subnational levels.
This is what the report has to say about India:
  1. The specific goal of the NCCD in India, in serving as the national focal point on disability matters, is to facilitate the continuous evolution of comprehensive policy measures for solving problems faced by people with disabilities.
  2. The NCCD in India is attached to the Ministry of Welfare. The Committee includes representatives of 25 government agencies, one NGO and one organization of people with disabilities. One disabled man is a member of the Committee.
  3. In India, the Agenda for Action has not been translated or produced in alternative formats, but it has been disseminated to diverse national Government Ministries, State governments and NGOs concerned with disability matters.
For full report:
http://www.unescap.org/decade/nccd.htm