Disabled people still yearning for positive attitude from society, authorities
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, December 04 2019: Unlike the world of ordinary people, the whole ambience of the "Composite Centre for Empowerment of Persons With Disabilities" at Tapokpi is filled with kindness, support and integrity.

The innocent nature of the differently abled persons present there and the caring and giving attitude of the staffs, complete the setting of the special home.

Around 60 differently-abled inmates are regularly taking benefits of the facilities available at the day-care centre for people with disabilities.

Some of the main tasks carried out at the said centre include psychotherapy, speech-therapy, sports, special education and vocational training for disabilities.

Disabled people still yearning for positive attitude from society, authorities

When approached and asked about the status of disabilities in the State, Laishram Tokendra Ricky, who is the secretary of Spastic Society, Manipur - the society that runs the Composite Centre for PWDs , expressed a lot of dissatisfaction over the kind of status disabilities are getting in the society in the State.

"Disabled are at the lowest stratum of the society and they face maximum level of discrimination.

However, there have been some changes in terms of awareness level within a very few people among the general population", he added.

Pointing that there are lots of things which need to be done in the society to ensure at least independence for the disabled, he said that the urgent things that need to do be done is removing the attitude related barriers prevailing in the society.

He said that even the majority of the parents who have disabled children, consider them as burden and refrain from sending their disabled children to schools.

However, the same parents are spending a lot of expenditure for their normal children in paying school fees, van fees and other necessary things.

Parents, Government and every sections of the society must emphasize on rehabilitating disabled persons, and barriers like discriminating attitude in the school atmosphere and society must be totally removed.

Furthermore, every departments of the Government like Education Department, Health Department and Youth and Sports Department have their own important role in addressing the issues of the disabled and the Social Welfare Department should act as a Nodal Officer, he added.

He lamented that the issues of disabled are only pushed to the Social Welfare Department as it is covered or related only to Social Welfare Department.

Lack of quality wheelchairs and artificial limbs have made many disabled persons, who love adaptive games and sports for disabled, dejected as they cannot compete with their counterparts from other States, although the State is said to be the powerhouse of sports.

YAS has a major role in this aspect and there will be many sports persons in the Paralympics if the said Department provides necessary equipment to the disabled who love special games and sports.

Stressing on the economic upliftment of disabled persons in addressing the issues faced by the disabled, he said that it is the main component for rehabilitation for disabled and to make them live with dignity in the society.

For this, the Government should make adequate number of reservations in Government services and the rightful/deserving disabled should ensured easy access to the benefits (reservations) without corruption.

While noting that the theme for observance of International Day for PWDs was "Promoting the participation of Persons with Disabilities and their leadership: taking action on the 2030 Development Agenda", Ricky lamented that PWDs in Manipuri society are not able to live under the mercy of the society while the PWDs in other parts of the world are talking of becoming leaders in global arena and acting on the 2030 Development Agenda.

He then stressed on the importance of the involvement of PWDs and Disabled Persons' Organizations while taking up initiatives and welfare for disabled people citing the connotation "nothing about us without us" .