valuable posting. keep it up.
----- Original Message -----
From: "avinash shahi" <[email protected]>
To: "accessindia" <[email protected]>; "jnuvision"
<[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, February 23, 2012 11:49 AM
Subject: [AI] Disability rights budgeting: The need of the hour,By Javed
Abidi
URL:
http://southasia.oneworld.net/union-budget-2012/disability-rights-budgeting-the-need-of-the-hour/?searchterm=javed+abidi
Disability rights budgeting: The need of the hour
Javed Abidi
08 February 2012
It is high time the Government of India incorporates disability rights
budgeting, on the lines of gender budgeting, in their Union Budget,
writes Javed Abidi.
There is growing concern within the social sector at the government’s
gradual abdication of responsibility on social development issues.
What started in the early 90s when India was staring into an economic
crisis and the austerity measures conveniently axed expenses on social
development issues, has slowly become the trend. The ‘Nine is Mine’
campaign is a testimony to that. If you look at the meagre budget on
social development issues with a disability lens, it gets even more
abysmal. Disability is at the bottom of the ladder, not just for the
policy makers but also in the mainstream civil society’s advocacy
towards the Union Budget.
Javed Abidi is Honorary Director, National Centre for Promotion of
Employment for Disabled People, New Delhi and Chairperson, Disabled
People's International. The 11th Five Year Plan (2007-2012), which is
coming to an end, was a major step forward for the disability sector
as it had a distinct sub-chapter on disability. More than 95% of its
mandate still remains on paper. In the coming Union Budget, we would
like to see a commitment from the Government of India to fulfill at
least some of the remaining promises. Our expectations are:
1: In the budget of all the Ministries, a 3% allocation has to be made
for disability related issues pertaining to that particular Ministry.
2: Announce the setting up of Disability Units in all Ministries.
3: Announce the setting up of a separate Department on Disability
Affairs within the Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry, as
mandated in the 11th Five Year Plan.
4: Announce and allocate funds for the setting up of a National
Institute on Universal Design.
5: Announce and allocate funds for the setting up of a National
Institute on Close Captioning.
6: Announce and allocate funds for the setting up of a National
Institute on Assistive Technology.
7: Overhaul the non-starter incentive scheme called the ‘Scheme of
Providing Incentives to Employers in the Private Sector for Providing
Employment to Persons with Disabilities’. In its place, the Government
should come out with a scheme that gives an employer distinct tax
breaks for employing people with disabilities. Introduce a Grant and
Levy Scheme for Private Sector employers.
8: Initiate a disability specific Sub-programme under National Rural
Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) and National Rural Livelihood Mission
(NRLM).
9: Ensure that all social security schemes should not only cover and
ensure non discrimination of persons with disabilities but also
should take into account the extra disability costs incurred by
persons with disabilities (for health care, assistive devices,
transport, personal attendants, etc.). Additional allowance and
reasonable accommodations should be provided for persons with
disabilities.
10: A serious commitment on the part of the Government towards making
inclusive education a reality. Clear cut funds to be allocated to the
Ministry of Human Resource Development to make all schools, colleges
and educational institutes accessible, develop appropriate curriculum,
train and recruit teachers for special needs students and ensure
relevant disability support such as accessible textbooks, sign
language interpreters, etc.
Disability rights group members protesting against the
non-implementation of the 11th five year plan proposals. The Union
Budget has always been very disappointing to the disability sector.
Year after year, despite several interventions – sometimes
confrontational and sometimes collaborative, disability continues to
be relegated to ‘welfare’ and ‘Social Justice’. The fact that
disability is a cross-cutting issue has still not registered with the
policy makers of our country. In a country where vote bank politics
determines as to who gets what, it is time that the people who decide
the fate of the Nation realise that people with disabilities form 10%
of our population and that’s some 100 million or so votes.
On the lines of gender budgeting, the concept of disability rights
budgeting is the new buzzword in the global scenario. It is high time
the Government of India incorporates this concept in their Union
Budget.
National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People
(NCPEDP) has started work on disability rights budgeting in India,
catalysing disabled leaders from across the country and across
disabilities to work on this project.
A much talked about demand in the social sector is that we fight
amongst each other for a share of the pie, whereas we should be
fighting together in order to get a bigger pie. This makes ample
sense. But for the disability sector that has been thriving on crumbs
of the existing pie, it sure is still a long way to go.
Javed Abidi Javed Abidi is Honorary Director, National Centre for
Promotion of Employment for Disabled People, New Delhi and
Chairperson, Disabled People’s Internationa. He is the pioneer of the
cross-disability movement in India having founded the Disabled Rights
Group in 1993 to work specifically on cross-disability issues. He was
recently elected as the World Chair of Disabled People’s
International.
--
"The best things and most beautiful things in the world Cannot be seen
or even touched. They must be felt within the heart." — Helen Keller
Avinash Shahi
M.A. Political Science
CPS JNU
New Delhi India
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