Wheelchair ramps in all Govt office buildings demanded
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, July 12 2014 :
State Commissioner for Persons with Disability, L Ibomcha today demanded Manipur Government to construct wheelchair ramps in every Government office buildings to facilitate entry and exit for differently-abled persons.
The newly appointed Commissioner for Persons with Disability was felicitated by All Tribal Disabled Union, Manipur (ATDUM) at Manipur Press Club here.
In a brief speech on the occasion, Ibomcha said various welfare programmes for disabled persons can be taken up under Peoples with Disability Act and Mental Health Act.
"We need to ensure the rights of the differently-abled people," he said.
Barring, the office of the Social Welfare Department, Manipur University (MU) and a few other buildings, there are no wheelchair ramps in the office buildings of the Government Department, Ibomcha pointed out.
A wheelchair ramp is an inclined plane installed in addition to or instead of stairs.
Ramps permit wheelchair users, as well as people pushing strollers, carts, or other wheeled objects, to have more easy access to a building.
Ibomcha demanded the Manipur Government to take proper steps for construction of wheelchair ramps in all Government buildings to ensure easy access for all persons with disability in the State.
Referring to mentally handicapped persons in the State, he said most of the serious patients suffering from mental illnesses are often handed over to police by their families to send them to jail.
Keeping such patients in jails is not the right move, Ibomcha pointed out, adding that these patients should be kept at Mental Homes for necessary treatment.
Saying that various schemes are provided to all persons with disabilities by the Government from time to time, he informed that these facilities or benefits are never given to the beneficiaries only at the production of proper certificates issued by the Government Department concerned.
All disabled people must get their own certificates to claim the benefits, he added.
President of ATDUM, Momo Tatanga, who also spoke at the event, lauded the State Government for appointing the Commissioner for Persons with Disability.
ATDUM also presented simple gifts to the new Commissioner on the occasion.