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Panel for persons with disabilities notified

By Our Staff Correspondent

NEW DELHI Oct. 21. The Government has notified the constitution of a National Commission for Persons with Disabilities. The nine-member panel would comprise, besides the chairperson, two full-time members and five associate members. The members will be eminent persons involved in the rehabilitation and advocacy for the rights of persons with disabilities. The panel will also have a full-time member-secretary.

The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, in a gazette notification issued here today, said three members would separately represent persons with hearing impairment, visual impairment and physical disability, while one each shall be nominated from the association of parents of persons suffering from mental retardation and autism, cerebral palsy and multiple disability. At least two of the members shall be women. The chairperson and other members, except the member-secretary, shall be appointed for a three-year term and can be re-appointed for an additional term.

The Commission would recommend to the Centre a specific programme of action for facilitating full participation of those with disabilities in the social and economic life. This would involve provision of right to education; vocational training and poverty elimination packages, employment and other support services so that the disabled persons were assessed for their abilities despite disabilities.

The Commission would review the status and conditions of the institutions delivering services in the disability sector. It would also discharge any other work assigned by the Centre from time to time.

The Commission would have the powers to call information from any government, local or other authority concerned with the implementation of programme and schemes for the disabled. It would submit its report annually, which would include the recommendations.

It is estimated that on an average five per cent of the country's population suffers from some kind of disability. According to some estimates, the available services cater to only about 5 per cent of the disabled persons.

The Commission is expected to help the Government bridge the gap between the requirement and availability of the rehabilitation services.

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