Date:04/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/04/stories/2008120454280400.htm

New Delhi

Nation honours differently-abled

Staff Reporter

Vice-President Hamid Ansari presents awards in 16 categories

Photo: Sandeep Saxena

A Proud moment: Vice-President Hamid Ansari and Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Meira Kumar with the recipients of ‘National Awards for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities’ in the Capital on Wednesday.

NEW DELHI: On the occasion of International Day of Disabled Persons on Wednesday, Vice-President Hamid Ansari gave away national awards to several differently-abled persons for excellence in their respective fields. The awards were given in 16 categories.

The Vice-President said the need of the hour was marrying fundamental and human rights with social justice and development goals. Stating that disability was not a stand-alone thematic issue, Mr. Ansari said it needed to be part of all programmes, policies and legislation with the objective of achieving equality in all political, economic and social spheres.

Adding that the issue could not remain confined to government alone, Mr. Ansari said it needed the attention of all stakeholders including civil society, international organisations and even the private sector and media within a co-operative framework for empowering persons with disabilities.

Also present at the function was Union Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Meira Kumar who announced that since the world was celebrating the bicentenary of Louis Braille on January 4, 2009, the first national award in the category of the Best Braille Press would be conferred on the same day and thereafter on December 3 each year along with other national awards.

The Minister also requested all State Chief Ministers and Ministries concerned to suitably observe this occasion.

The function was marked by display of paintings by talented artists such as Sarita Dwivedi from Uttar Pradesh whose three limbs have been amputated but she works with her left leg, Master Rizwan Azimuddin Shaikh from Gujarat who has 80 per cent orthopaedic disability, and Kshama Kulshreshtha from Madhya Pradesh who has triumphed over loco-motor disability caused by a spinal cord injury.