Establishments promote rights of persons with disabilities

Dimapur, Oct. 23 (EMN): A promotional platform about the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act of 2016, was conducted for heads of offices in Wokha district in the deputy commissioner’s conference hall on October 22 in Wokha. During the programme, officials from the disability establishments talked about the rights of persons with disabilities, disability statutes and the challenges the community faces, updates stated.
The programme was organised by the mission mode team (Accessible India Campaign) in collaboration with the establishment of the State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, updates stated.

The government publicity agency the department of Information and Public Relations (IPR) gave updates on Wednesday informing about the programme.

During the programme, the secretary to the government of Nagaland and the team leader of Mission mode Team (Accessible India Campaign) K Libanthung Lotha highlighted the role and the responsibility of the team. He said the team educated stakeholders, both government servants and nongovernmental organisations in Nagaland to be agents for successful implementation of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, the IPR stated.

‘The Accessible India Campaign is a part of RPwD Act 2016 and is a national flagship programme launched by the government of India to achieve universal accessibility for persons with disabilities. It has three components accessibilities namely, inbuilt environment, transportation system and information and communication eco-system,’ Lotha said.

‘It is also a directive from the Supreme Court of India to implement the Rights of Persons with Disabilities with this obligation.’

The official said that the similar programmes will be conducted in all the other districts too. The team has inspected 29 government office buildings and establishments in the state and has submitted a status report to the state’s government, he said.

The state commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, Diethono Nakhro highlighted the Act, and status of implementation, among others. She said it is the responsibility of the government to ensure that persons with disabilities enjoy “the right to equality, life with dignity, and respect for his or her own integrity equally with others.”

The Act provides for appropriate environment for persons with disabilities to live, work and socialise in the community; protection from abuse and exploitation; and the Right to Safety and various other rights as equal citizens, she said.

Nakhro spoke also about the rights and entitlements of disabled persons in the areas of education, skill development and employment, social security, health rehabilitation and recreation, special provision, duties and responsibility of governments, special courts, offences and penalties.

Speaking about the condition of persons with disabilities in Nagaland, Nakhro said that people with disabilities represent the most excluded of all age groups in the Naga society.

‘They are completely missing from the development landscape. Majority of children with disability cannot attend schools or continue to higher studies due to lack of access to quality health services, lack of access to disability support services, services livelihood and economic empowerment and excluded from participation in society due to environmental barriers.’

A discourse on disability in Nagaland, and the challenges and opportunities of it, was given by the director of Prodigals’ Home K Ela. Court directives and legal implications of non-compliance were highlighted by advocate from the Kohima bench of the Gauhati High Court, Apila Sangtam, the IPR stated.