A two-day regional-level seminar on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPWD) Act 2016 held in the city came to a close on Wednesday. It was conducted by National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP) in association with the Network of Persons with Disabilities and its Disability Law Unit (South) at St Ann’s Generalate.
The two not-for-profit organisations work with and for people with disabilities and issues related to them. “The seminar revolved around the discussion on key issues faced by persons with disabilities like employment, livelihood opportunities, the effect of COVID-19 pandemic, access to healthcare facilities and concerns of women and children with disabilities. A session on the provisions of the National Education Policy 2020 concerning students with disabilities was also part of the discussion,” a press release informed.
Niharika Das, program officer-Advocacy, NCPEDP, said it is crucial to create awareness about the provisions under the newly enacted law and the various developments that have taken place under it. “State-level implementation of the RPWD Act 2016 is important as disability is considered a state subject. The issues at the grass-root level should be brought into focus. The sector needs to work with a rights-based approach,” she said.
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CEO of Weave Media, Vasundara said accessibility has been the biggest challenge for persons with disabilities and that with app-based cab services being a necessity in metropolitan cities, it is important to sensitise drivers and customer support about disability.