Participants during the awareness and sensitization programme at St Xavier College Jalukie on November 10.
Jalukie, November 11 (MExN): The urgent need to put in more efforts towards inclusion of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) in the society was highlighted during an awareness and sensitization programme at St Xavier College Jalukie on November 10.
The event was organised by the Differently Abled People’s Organization (DAPO) Peren organised and conducted by Ngaugongbe, President DAPO who is also the Joint Secretary of Nagaland State Disability Forum (NSDF) and a Fellow of National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP) – Javed Abidi Fellowship. The sessions are conducted in semesters wise with the participation of 377 students as a whole, a press release informed on Thursday.
During the sessions, Ngaugongbe highlighted about the scenario of PwDs in the district and State of Nagaland as a whole and said that there is still a lot to do for effective inclusion for PwDs. Inclusion should begin in the family, community, schools, colleges and other public institutions and so on to promote equal opportunities for PwDs, he added.
According to him, in the society, many families are ‘confining’ their children with disabilities (CwDs) within their homes, and such families need to be encouraged to bring their children forward for participation in social activities so that CwDs can explore their abilities to the best. PwDs in general, must be encouraged to come forward and make themselves visible in the society so that their presence be felt and recognized, he emphasized.
The President of DAPO further expressed concerns towards the discriminations and exploitation meted against the PwDs based on their disabilities by the society in general. Stating that PwDs generally unable to participate in social events, gatherings, church activities and so on because they are always considered as unfit or non-competent for their involvement also due to non availability of accessibilities in many public places, he underscored the need for a change in mindset and bring new outlooks to pilot progress and inclusion in the society. He called upon the students to come forward and be good and responsible citizens to spread love and support and create a better, accessible and inclusive society.
Meanwhile, the DAPO President acknowledged the College and its administrators, teachers and students for their services towards the disabled community especially during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, the release stated.
Principal of the college Rev Dr Fr Francis S Cheerangal also shared on the importance of ‘enabling the disabled’ stating that it begins with ‘sensitization of both the abled and disabled.’ The college besides its academic schedule has been taking an inclusive approach in many ways over the recent past, he said, adding that it would look forward to effective ways to do much more in the days to come.
