NEW DELHI: The HRD Ministry has informed all schools in India that expenses incurred on books, uniform and transport for children with disabilities will be reimbursed by the government. Minister of State for HRD Satyapal Singh, while speaking at an award ceremony on Sunday, said that just one per cent of all disabled children go to school and the way forward was to empower them.
“Specially challenged people just do not need courtesy and compassion, but real empowerment which would come through education. How to ensure it is a big challenge,” he said at the Helen Keller Awards, 2018. The event was organised by the National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People and Mindtree.
Singh said the Centre had given directions to “all schools in the country that all expenditure incurred on books, uniform and transport will be reimbursed by the government”.
He said that a girl child will be given J200 per month. Also, a minimum of 5 per cent seats will be reserved for children with disabilities from this academic session, added Singh. He reiterated that it’s a priority for the government to “make sure that the rights of the specially challenged people are ensured.”
“In my capacity as minister for higher education, I commit my support to ensure accessibility, in all respects across all our institutes of higher education, so that more and more people with disabilities will break the glass ceiling as employees, employers and entrepreneurs,” said Singh.