------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Documented by Goa Desc Resource Centre Ph:2252660 Website: www.goadesc.org Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Press Clippings on the web: http://www.goadesc.org/mem/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ State government comes in for flak for being disabled-unfriendly ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working with the disabled expressed their total disillusionment with the government and its inability to keep its promises, stating that the State has failed totally to implement the Persons With Disabilities Act 1995.
The Department of Social Welfare also came under a lot of flak, especially as its very location is not disabled-person-friendly, and as such violates the Act. In addition, its inadequacies were also stressed.
Disability Rights Association of Goa (DRAG) on Wednesday had its first meeting in the city where a number of NGOs including Caritas Goa, Disha Trust, Special Olympics and Golden India Society came together and discussed the present status of implementation of the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Right and Full Participation) Act, 1995.
Says the President, Avelino de Sa, "The Persons with Disabilities Act is not being implemented by the State especially when it comes to infrastructure, which hampers the mobility of disabled persons."
According to the Act, the authorities are directed to put up constructions designed for wheel chair users and engravings on zebra crossings, for the blind people. Buildings and toilets are to be constructed with ramps and other features. But this is not being implemented.
Ironically, the Social Welfare Department which deals with affairs related to the disabled is itself not located on the ground floor. Besides, the steps leading up to it and the entire office itself is not disabled person-friendly."We had submitted a memorandum to the chief minister around eight months ago asking that the social Welfare Department be shifted to the ground floor, but nothing has happened. This department itself is violating the norms", said one of those present.
Inadequacies of the department were also highlighted.The department, in reality, was only administering the Dayanand Social Security Scheme, and, nothing else is done, it was noted."The disabled are called a number of times to the office, which they cannot visit endlessly," the meeting noted and pointed out that there should be a separate officer only for disabilities.
The Act, meanwhile, specifies that government transport is to take special measures to adapt their facilities and amenities to permit easy access to persons with disabilities. Although the Kadamba Transport Corporation (KTC) does give some concession for persons with physical disabilities, there are no facilities for those with mental disabilities, although they fall within the purview of the Act.
This, according to the NGOs is apparently because the social welfare department does not have the appropriate forms to allow the mentally challenged to avail of the facilities. "As per the Act, there is a minimum of three per-cent reservation in government jobs, but this is not being implemented", says D M Lobo, who heads the Golden India Society.
The Act also specifies that each State shall appoint a State Co-ordination Committee and Executive committees. However, these committees simply do not meet, and as a result, the Act is not implemented, was the opinion of those present at the meet.
Another issue that came up, especially in view of the upcoming elections, was that of polling booths, and how these can be made more accessible for the disabled.
The meeting also resolved that various NGOs come together and organise themselves into a force to see that the Act is implemented, and then submit a petition to the chief minister highlighting all these problems.
DRAG was started in October 2003 with the intention of taking up problems related to disabled persons. Talking about the objectives of the organisation, Mr de Sa said: "there are so many schemes available, but disabled persons are not aware of them. DRAG intends to create awareness about these schemes."
Mr de Sa also said that there is a tendency among the people to put the disabled, even orthopedically disabled into special schools when they can be admitted into normal schools. In this regard, DRAG intends to meet heads of various educational institutions to create a positive attitude towards the disabled. --------------------------------- HERALD 18/3/04 page 1 ---------------------------------
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