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Steering Disability into the social welfare agenda

The recommendations of the Steering Committee on Social Welfare for the Tenth Five-Year Plan adopt a holistic approach to ease the life of the disabled people.

Shri Javed Abidi, Executive Director, N.C.P.E.D.P. was invited by the Steering Committee on Social Welfare to deliberate on the issue of the condition of disabled people in India . The meeting held on January 18, 2001 saw members of the Planning Commission, Central Ministries, State Governments and N.G.O.s discuss various aspects pertaining to the social sector.

Disability was one of the focal points of the meeting and aspect s ranging from prevention of disabilities, rehabilitation, employment, awareness generation, education, training and appliances came up for discussion.

Dr. D. N. Tiwari, Chairperson, listed thrust areas for further discussions in the subsequent meeting. These included the formulation of a national plan for development and rehabilitation of disabled people, the functioning of national institutes and rehabilitation centres , the production of aids and appliances, the vocational training and employment of disabled persons, the involvement of N.G.O.s and the creation of a barrier-free environment.

The recommendations of the Steering Committee will have a substantial impact on the outlays made in the Tenth Five Year Plan (2002–2007). The recommendations that emerged after deliberations provide a comprehensive framework for development work to develop on.

The role of the Steering Committee

The Steering Committee was constituted by the Planning Commission under the chairmanship of Dr. D.N. Tiwari, Member, Planning Commission to review the existing strategies, policies and programmes in the area of Social Welfare and suggest alternative strategies where possible. The committee reviewed the existing institutional arrangements for implementation of policies, existing legislation and its effectiveness, the role of N.G.O.s and suggested priorities and targets in pursuing the commitment of ‘Empowering the Disabled, ‘Reforming Social Deviants' and ‘Caring for the other Disadvantaged'.

Towards Empowering the Disabled

Strategy and Recommendations for the Tenth Plan

In its recommendations for the Tenth Plan, the Steering Committee acknowledges the rights of the disabled to get better services. It plans to evolve a National Plan of Action in which the roles and obligations of all concerned are defined. The main thrust is to ensure a vertical and horizontal expansion of programmes so that the disabled persons become functionally independent and productive members of society. A multi- sectoral approach involving all concerned Ministries, State institutions and NGOs ahs been stressed to achieve maximum gains. Also, the recommendations focus largely on the rural areas, which are often ignored by NGOs.

Sector-wise recommendations

Prevention, Early Detection and Intervention: The Tenth Plan should reinforce and strengthen preventive measures through a multi-collaborative approach. Specific measures need to be taken during this period to tackle new emerging variants of disabilities. A holistic training programme needs to be evolved for grassroots workers to help them prevent disabilities.

Education, Training and Research: Efforts should be made to develop a variety of models according to the needs of different categories of disabled children. Universalisation of elementary education should be aimed for. Post-matric scholarships for higher studies should be provided to deserving students. Rehabilitation Council of India should revise its syllabus to incorporate advances in educational technologies. A college of Rehabilitation Sciences should be set up to provide comprehensive training.

At least five per cent of the total allocation on education should be set aside for research in special education. Salary structures and service conditions of special teachers should be comparable with others.

Vocational Training and Employment: Existing Vocational Training Centres should be modernised to keep pace with emerging market conditions. The National Handicapped Finance and Development Corporation (NHFDC) should encourage the establishment of sheltered workshops for severely disabled persons in each district. The Special Employment Exchanges should play a much more proactive role, and the Ministry of Labour should carry out an evaluation of their performance periodically. The corporate sector must be encouraged to employ disabled persons, and the reserved quota for the disabled in group A, B, C and D services should be filled.

Technological Development and Accessibility: An interactive website providing information about various technologies and services should be launched. There should be a higher sharing of knowledge between Ministries. All railway stations should be built following the prescribed norms for making them accessible. Production of assistive devices should be decentralized. The National Institutes and ALIMCO should play a key role in application of scientific developments and innovations. A task force may be set up to identify opportunities in industries. It is should be used to create virtual classrooms to train rehabilitation workers and professionals.

Outreach and Extension Services: The state sector National Programme of Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities should be strengthened and expanded to cover all districts and eventually all villages. Identification of rural jobs and training should be taken up on a priority basis. Distribution of assistive devices should be increased substantially in rural areas. Training modules for grassroots functionaries of various Ministries should have a section on disability. Distance learning should be encouraged to spread education to disabled children.

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