Morung Express News
Dimapur | March 12
Even as the state government notified the implementation of The Nagaland Rights of Persons with Disabilities Rules 2019, the Nagaland State Disability Forum (NSDF) has maintained that there were a lot of provisions in the Rules yet to be effectively implemented.
The NSDF was established in 2014 and has been creating awareness on disability and taking up issues concerning the community with the State Government.
Addressing media persons in Dimapur on Thursday, NSDF President, Kezhaleto Zecho said that the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act 2016 came into force from April 2017 with all states and union territories tasked to frame their own rules within six months. The Nagaland government passed its rules after two years on August 16, 2019. He urged the government to ensure that all provisions in the Rules are effectively implemented in all the departments.
The NSDF also appealed the government to provide adequate resources, proper budget allocation and enough manpower to the office of the State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities to run the office properly.
Reservation and employment exchange
NSDF General Secretary, Ashe H Kiba said that for the disabled persons to avail the 4% job quota, the government should set up Special Employment Exchange office in all the districts as the office would issue certificates to the disabled persons in this regard. She informed that 4% quota could be availed by those persons with benchmark disability (40% and above).
Zecho supplemented that even if the government is unable to set up Special Employment Exchange in all the districts, a separate cell could be set up in the Employment Exchange offices. The NSDF also appealed the departments dealing with various poverty alleviation schemes to reserve 5% for the disabled.
DDRC
The NSDF thanked the Department of Health & Family Welfare for District Disability Rehabilitation Centre (DDRC) in Dimapur and urged the government to set up the same office in all the district headquarters since it was a challenge for disabled persons from other districts to come to Dimapur and avail the benefits.
The forum said that the only functional DDRC in the state was in need of a dedicated team of therapists and technicians and appealed the government to appoint such professionals. It said the DDRC Dimapur has world-class equipments but lacked technicians to operate.
Inclusive Education
The NSDF informed that as per the RPWD Act all government schools should be equipped with disabled friendly facilities.
It however regretted that almost all schools in the state had namesake ramps and toilets. The schools should also have trained teachers to handle the disabled, the Forum added. Beyond providing such facilities, the NSDF said, that the schools should see that there is proper accessibility for the disabled and work towards removing stigma and discrimination.
NSDF Treasurer, Vikengunu Fatima Kera said teachers need to be sensitized on disability issues and appealed the Education Department to organize sensitization programme for the teachers.
The forum further appealed private institutions to provide inclusive education to all irrespective of whether one was disabled or not.
Pension scheme
The NSDF said that as per 2011 census, there were 29,631 persons with disabilities in the state. It said those with benchmark disability were eligible to get pension of Rs 200 per month plus state share but the disabled were getting only the state share. The forum said informed that like Sikkim, Meghalaya and Mizoram were giving Rs 1000, Rs 500 and Rs 350 respectively per month to the disabled.
Appeal to Churches
The NSDF meanwhile urged Churches in the state to follow the Accessibility Church Guideline issued by the Nagaland Baptist Churches Council. The NBCC has declared the third Sunday of November as Disability Sunday and appealed the Churches to seriously observe the day and also continue to work for the welfare of the disabled even on other days.
