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Disabled people in India, as elsewhere,
deserved comprehensive legislation to cover
all aspects of their lives. They need legal
power to directly tackle the blatant, and
more importantly, the discreet
discrimination against them.
The new Act, Persons with Disabilities
(Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights &
Full Participation) Act, 1995 represents the
culmination of years of hard work behind the
scenes, countless hours of consultation
between officials of Ministry of Welfare and
of other Ministries and experts/
organizations working with and for disabled
people, campaigning by disability activists
for a better deal for disabled people.
The more we discuss the problems of
disability and social prejudices with people
in India and abroad, the more convinced we
have become that even our best endeavors
would not be rewarded without laws that make
discrimination illegal.
The Indian Parliament, for the first time,
has legally endorsed the right of access for
the disabled people to education and
vocational training; employment practices;
travel on public transport and mobility
schemes; barrier - free environment and
integrated living; information and
communication strategies; independence and
dignity.
The Persons with Disabilities (Equal
Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full
Participation) Bill, 1995 was passed in
December 1995 and was published in the
Gazette of India on Monday, 1st January 1996
after receiving consent from the President
of India, Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma. It
became functional on Wednesday, 7th February
1996.
The Act establishes responsibility on the
society to make adjustments for disabled
people so that they overcome various
practical, psychological and social hurdles
created by their disability. The Act places
disabled people at par with other citizens
of India in respect to education, vocational
training and employment.
Protection of the rights of people with
disabilities was long overdue and the
Government must be congratulated for taking
this important and progressive step. The
glory of this historical achievement, The
Act, is shared by people with disabilities
and their families; NGOs working in this
field for and with the disabled, disability
campaigners who have been fighting hard for
this cause in India and abroad; the people
in the media and Members of Parliament in
Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha who had voted
unanimously for the Disability Bill.
http://socialjustice.nic.in/disabled/welcome.htm
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