HYDERABAD: Following the central government’s direction to states to implement the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPD) Act, 2016, a two-day state-level meeting of officials of the department of women development, child welfare and disabled welfare began here on Friday.
As per Section 75(1) of the RPD Act, a chief commissioner appointed by the department of empowerment of persons with disabilities of the Union ministry of social justice and empowerment oversees the Act’s implementation. Accordingly, chief commissioner Kamlesh Kumar Pandey arrived here and held talks with officials on ensuring the rights of PWDs in Telangana.
Discussions on creating accessible public spaces for PWDs, making health care and education available to them and awareness about welfare schemes were held.
For the PWDs to avail the welfare schemes and other benefits provided by the central government, possession of a disability certificate is a must, after which a universal disability identity (UDID) will be issued. The Telangana government issues Sadaram cards for PWDs in the state. The department will soon begin linking Sadaram cards with UDID.
Telangana is one of the 15 states where UDIDs will be issued and linked in the first phase, said B Sailaja, director of the welfare of disabled and senior citizens.
“After the reorganisation of districts, we are yet to fill 147 vacant posts of officials for disabled care and welfare which will soon be done. Besides, till date, all the new buses that are being launched will be accessible to PWDs while the old ones will be modified to suit them,” she said.
In the higher education sector, experts on disabilities will be on the advisory panels to make them more inclusive. Early health intervention centres, functioning now in 10 districts, will be set up in all other districts.
Kamlesh Pandey said Telangana is one of the states that are disabled-friendly. “It stands fourth after Goa, Delhi and Haryana in providing a pension of `1,500 to the disabled. Moreover, 15,270 schools were made barrier-free and government buildings notified to be made disabled-friendly,” he said.