The Hindu : Front Page : 25,000 persons with disability in Chennai

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Monday, Jul 06, 2009
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25,000 persons with disability in Chennai

Aloysius Xavier Lopez

CHENNAI: The first enumeration of persons with disability in the State by the government has been completed in Chennai. Around 25,000 people with disability have been identified in the city.

The enumeration includes data on nine types of disability such as visually impaired and low vision, orthopaedically handicapped, mental retardation, mental illness, cerebral palsy, speech and hearing disabled, autism, leprosy cured and persons with multiple disabilities.

“The work in almost 50 per cent of the other districts in the State has been completed,” said Meenakshi Rajagopal, State Commissioner for the Disabled.

The door-to-door survey, on the scale of a Census, was carried out to create a database on persons with disability and classify various types of disability.

It included 7 parameters such as personal details, type of disability, education status, employment, usage, need and supply of aids and appliances, rights of the people with disability and impact of various government schemes.

Around 700 volunteers undertook house-to-house visits.

Printed copies of questionnaires were routed to resource persons through the respective District Disabled Rehabilitation Officers.

Details collected during the enumeration would help in better planning for persons with disability, said Ms.Rajagopal.

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