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Chattisgarh: A Better State for Persons with Disabilities:
by Praveen Kumar G.
Chattisgarh is the 9th largest state in the country having a population of 20,795,956. There are number of disabled persons in the state. The state is a home for around 355000 disabled people. 1.8% of the total population.
Attitude: Generally the attitude of non-disabled persons towards people with disabilities is either of sympathy or pity! None disabled persons look upon disabled persons as superior or inferior rather than equal. Perhaps this is due to ignorance and lack of experience living with persons with disabilities. “Emergence of a state where persons with disabilities are looked upon as equal with out any bias”.
Education: As all others even persons with disability have right to education. A dream where no person is denied education due to her/his disability. A dream of a situation where there are more opportunities being open to persons with disabilities to join any school rather than just open to special schools. “A dream of an environment of inclusiveness” where all children with disability play and learn with non disabled children.
Employment: Some seats are reserved in the public sector for persons with disabilities. A dream where there are more opportunities for persons with disabilities to go into better employment in the age of
Information and Technology rather than being subjected to traditional jobs like teaching, telephone operating etc.
Self-reliant: Like non-disabled people have certain needs persons with disabilities also have some specific needs. (Aids and appliances) “A dream where all these are met and persons with disabilities are independent”.
Disabled people in the village: India is a land of villages most of the persons with disabilities live in the rural areas and are poor. “A dream where the persons with disabilities in such rural area have a voice in the process of development” “A dream of disabled men, women and children participating in village meetings, representing gram sabhas and other processes”.
Barrier free environment: For the mobility of persons with disabilities there should be a barrier free environment for example a polio affected person cannot climb steps easily!!! “A dream where all public utilities like the railway station, post offices, banks, theaters, schools and universities are disabled friendly”.
Acceptance: Persons with disabilities have desires, feelings and needs. Due to the loss of one ore more senses they are treated differently in society and also named as deaf, dumb, blind, differently abeled etc. “A dream of a state where all people are sensitized and a situation where non disabled people accept persons with disabilities as they are and not attribute then to a particular disability”.
Right to information and participation: Person with disabilities in the urban areas and more so in the rural areas are subjected to the four walls. Their participation in social, cultural and political life is restrained or limited. “A dream of a state where persons with disability have access to information and also participate in social, cultural and political life”.
Chattisgarh is a new state and has immense opportunities to realize the same. A bit of dedication and commitment can make the state a better place for persons with disabilities to live in.
Submitted by Praveen Kumar G. July 2003. You can contact Praveen at pkgmsw@rediffmail.com
Praveen, my classmate in India, works for Action Aid India.
Links:
Chattisgarh Online resource Site Designed & Hosted by
National Informatics Centre, Chhattisgarh
Profile of Chattisgarh
Clickable map of India See where the different states are in relation to one another.
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