UPA failed to help differently-abled: Sonia

At the South Asian Autism Network Conference on Monday in Delhi, National Advisory Council Chairperson Sonia Gandhi attacked her own UPA Government lamenting that it has failed to keep pace with the needs of the differently-abled in formulating policies and leaving them deprived of their rights.
Though India is one of the first signatories to the UN Convention on Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities, lack of awareness and focused policies hinder mainstreaming of autistic people by the society as was pointed out by Gandhi.
“I feel that formation of public policy in our countries has not kept pace as nothing significant has been given to the disabilities sector.
“In the absence of adequate institutional support mechanism, the differently-abled remain deprived of their rights,” she said and called for concerted joint action to help make the world comfortable for people with disabilities, especially those suffering from autism.
The UPA chairperson said “Mothers of children with autism and other development disorders suffer a lot by thinking about the future of their children who need life-long afflicted children need life-long support.”
In fact, according to various surveys, even as the law provide for facilities of transport, vocational education, banking, housing and other benefits for people and children living with autism, they face harassment, end up becoming the laughing stock of the society and are often discriminated.
Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad hoped the outcome of deliberations leading to the Delhi Declaration would be another historical guidepost in the long journey of meeting the unmet needs of children, families and communities suffering from Autism Spectrum Disorders.
Sujaya Krishnan, Joint Secretary, Health Ministry said that people often mistake this development disability as a mental disorder. “An autistic child needs a proper diagnosis, which is almost non-existent in India. The conference was held with an aim to focus the attention of the region and the world on such children,” she added. Health Ministers of various SEAR nations including Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal and Sri Lanka also shared their views on the disorder.


Source : The Pioneer : 12th Feb 2013