Special identity cards for the disabled

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, DEC. 3. The Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, Ms. Maneka Gandhi, today presented the National Awards for the welfare of people with disability for the year 2000. The award presentation function coincided with the International Day for Persons with Disability.

The awards, instituted to encourage individuals and institutions who worked devotedly to and for the disabled, were bagged by three institutions, six individuals, 18 employees and two employers among others.

Speaking on the occasion, Ms. Gandhi said that the Government has formulated a uniform identity card for the disabled after wide- ranging consultations. This card could be issued across the States to the disabled to enable them to avail of various facilities extended to them and the States have been asked to ensure speedy implementation of the identity card scheme without causing any unnecessary harassment or inconvenience to the disabled.

Referring to the inclusion of the questions relating to disabilities in the 2001 census, she said this would help significantly in the identification of the extent and nature of disability and also in the long run come handy in the formulation of policies and programmes for their benefit.

Another new programme - the National Programme for Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities - has been taken up by the Ministry and was being implemented as a State Sector Scheme. Under the programme, resources are being provided for comprehensive rehabilitation services in 74 districts and corresponding Blocks and Gram Panchayats throughout the country this year, she said adding that this programme was a synthesis of community-based and institutional-based rehabilitation services.

Ms. Gandhi also said that through another scheme, comprehensive rehabilitation services would be provided at a primary level through 107 district centres. Ten of these centres have already started functioning and many more were in the process of being put in place. All the centres are expected to come up by the end of 2001. Once fully operational, these centers spread throughout the country would strengthen the present infrastructure. They would serve as one-window facilitation centres for the disabled living in the district and the adjoining areas.

Five composite regional centres

Our Staff Reporter adds:

Ms. Maneka Gandhi, also announced that her Ministry was setting up five composite regional centres to strengthen the institutional approach of providing rehabilitation services and also to provide for greater geographical coverage.

``While two centres in Sri Nagar and Lucknow have already commenced services, regional spinal centres are also being established at Bareilly, Mohali, Jabalpur and Cuttack,'' Ms. Gandhi said.

Pointing out that the Government's strategy for reaching out to persons with disabilities has been continuously evolving based on their experience and effectiveness of approach, Ms. Gandhi said the Ministry had been facing difficulties in terms of maintenance and follow-up services in the camp approach which it had been following all these years.

Ms. Asha Das, Secretary, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, said a key area of focus of the rehabilitation services programme at the district level was creation of a barrier-free environment that incorporates barrier-free features both inside the buildings and outside infrastructure like roads and pathways.

However, Ms. Das said the approach to rehabilitation and disability must undergo a change and it must be made an integral part of grassroots and community planning and programming.

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