As director of National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People ( NCPEDP), Javed Abidi
is known to call a spade a spade. Confined to the wheelchair since he
was 15 owing to a spinal disease, Abidi came into the limelight in 1995
for pushing forward the enactment of Persons With Disability Act. He
tells TOI the current law was toothless and a new more empowering law is
in the offing.
Q) How will the new law empower the disabled in the country?
A. If we look at the current law, it is great too. It laid the foundation to the rights we have now. But it is outdated and has lacunae. The world has moved on and so have the needs of the disabled. The new law will cover education, employment, accessibility, legislation and awareness. First, the new law will ensure every type of disability is covered, is comprehensive and creates responsibility on private sector on employment inclusivity. Two, we are ensuring that the rights and help that the disabled need are accessible at district levels. So a person seeking a disability certificate for his child need not come to the high court to get one but can get it at gram panchayat level.
Q) If the current law is toothless, how will the new law be better?
A. The old law has all provisions but no teeth. Rights-based culture is setting in India like you have the consumer court.
We are not seeking unreasonable punitive action against a school if it rejects admission to a disabled child or close down an office that has no ramps. Also if we were to ask for such actions against discrimination, the law may never see the light of day. But we are leaving it to the courts of India to decide.
New law will empower the disabled to fight discrimination that is very finely distinguished in the law. It may not be the perfect draft, but it is good.
Q) When is the new law likely to come into effect?
A) There is a committee which was set up to reprise about the situations and increasing needs for the disabled to charter the new law. It took them three years and ultimately government took it upon its own to expedite the draft formation.
The draft is ready to be passed by cabinet. There could be some things that could have been further refined but understanding the political developments in the country,
We want it to be tabled in the winter session of Parliament, likely to be held in the coming weeks of December. Lets be realistic, if it is not given to us now, it will take a lot of time to revive the whole issue to the next government.
Source : TOI , 3rd December 2013
Q) How will the new law empower the disabled in the country?
A. If we look at the current law, it is great too. It laid the foundation to the rights we have now. But it is outdated and has lacunae. The world has moved on and so have the needs of the disabled. The new law will cover education, employment, accessibility, legislation and awareness. First, the new law will ensure every type of disability is covered, is comprehensive and creates responsibility on private sector on employment inclusivity. Two, we are ensuring that the rights and help that the disabled need are accessible at district levels. So a person seeking a disability certificate for his child need not come to the high court to get one but can get it at gram panchayat level.
Q) If the current law is toothless, how will the new law be better?
A. The old law has all provisions but no teeth. Rights-based culture is setting in India like you have the consumer court.
We are not seeking unreasonable punitive action against a school if it rejects admission to a disabled child or close down an office that has no ramps. Also if we were to ask for such actions against discrimination, the law may never see the light of day. But we are leaving it to the courts of India to decide.
New law will empower the disabled to fight discrimination that is very finely distinguished in the law. It may not be the perfect draft, but it is good.
Q) When is the new law likely to come into effect?
A) There is a committee which was set up to reprise about the situations and increasing needs for the disabled to charter the new law. It took them three years and ultimately government took it upon its own to expedite the draft formation.
The draft is ready to be passed by cabinet. There could be some things that could have been further refined but understanding the political developments in the country,
We want it to be tabled in the winter session of Parliament, likely to be held in the coming weeks of December. Lets be realistic, if it is not given to us now, it will take a lot of time to revive the whole issue to the next government.
Source : TOI , 3rd December 2013
No comments:
Post a Comment