BHUBANESWAR: About 600 persons with disabilities (PwDs) along with disability activists and students took out a candle light march from PMG square to Ram Mandir square here on Monday to urge Parliamentarians to pass the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill 2014 in the Lok Sabha on December 14.
The disability sector was represented by all categories comprising orthopaedically impaired, speech and hearing impaired, visually impaired, autistic, dyslexic, mentally challenged and the mentally ill.
Around 10 per cent (PwDs) population of the country will be immensely benefited if the legislation takes shape of an Act. The legislation aims at providing the PwDs an equitable social and economic platform.
‘’PwDs want only 60 seconds of the Rajya Sabha time to help change their destiny. The legislation will bring them closer to their goal of equality and justice. Parties irrespective of their political affiliation should support the Bill,’’ disability rights activist Sruti Mohapatra said.
People with autism, neurological impairment, dwarfism, acid attack victims, haemophilia, learning disabilities and other impairments will benefit if the Bill is passed. The earlier Act (Disability Act, 1955) covered only seven categories of disabilities, she added.