The grievances day meeting at the Collectorate on Monday saw many people with disabilities submit petitions pressing various demands. The meeting coincided with the International Day of Persons with Disabilities being observed every third of December.
Representatives from various associations related to people with disabilities were at the Collectorate to meet District Revenue Officer (DRO) K. Karpagam who was receiving petitions in the absence of Collector M. Karunagaran.
The demands varied from implementation of Government schemes to providing employment and free pattas to the differently abled.
A. Kanniyappan, president of Coimbatore District Physically Challenged Welfare Association, said the association had submitted a 10-point demand charter to the DRO.
“Our main demand is that all public facilities in the city should be made differently abled friendly. The Government should invest in ensuring us a barrier-free environment, it should monitor that all Government schemes and privileges reach the differently abled, and these privileges should be provided by the public and private sectors without any discrimination,” he said.
A major demand that the association had placed was the setting up of a special indoor sports training facility for the differently abled. Also, those who had excelled in special sports should be provided free housing and transportation in a hassle-free manner, he added. The differently abled also wanted the Government to collect statistics about the socio-economic details of their ilk. They also demanded a separate grievances day meeting to be held for them once a month.
