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President Kalam speaks up for the disabled

Special Correspondent

They could work under a coordinator in Union Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry

NEW DELHI: President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam has asked State Governments to nominate Special Commissioners to ensure the filling up of three per cent reserved jobs by suitable "special ability" candidates.

The Special Commissioners could work under the supervision of an overall coordinator in the Union Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry.

Addressing a gathering after presenting the National Awards for the Welfare of Persons with Disabilities here on Saturday, Mr. Kalam said the officer could be designated Project Director and made a full time Commissioner, and would be responsible for filling up the reserved jobs.

Congratulating the award winners for using technology to help those with special abilities, he said it was very important to recognise outstanding employees, employers, placement officers, individuals, institutions and creative disabled personsfrom different walks of life, he said while congratulating the award winners in their mission to bring smile on the faces of people with special abilities through technology.

Tax benefits

Calling upon the corporate groups and social institutions to participate in the noble societal mission of donating donation of cochlear implants to the needy patients, the President Mr. Kalam said the Government on its part could provide 150 per cent weighted deduction of such contribution for the purposes of computing income tax.

There Pointing out that there were often special strengths available with in people with some disabilities, Mr. Dr. Kalam said. the social system and the Educational institutions and society must recognize recognise the strengths of the such individuals and provide the opportunity "for these flowers to blossom."

Narrating success stories, of those with disabilities, he said called upon the teachers, educational institutions, employers, and the societal social organizations organisations to become sensitive to the strengths of such people with special abilities and provide them an opportunity to lead a normal life "not through sympathy but through empowerment."

The He said the Government was working towards providing a cost-effective speech interface through the indigenously developed, hand-held personal computer for visually challenged people. These hardware, software integrated system can could be called as "Virtual Vision,".

The and Government agencies and various private organizations organisations can could take up this the mission of developing and producing it. development and production of "Virtual Vision''

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