General Assembly General Assembly

Statement by Mr. Amit Kumar, Minister, Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations at the Seventh Session of the Conference of the State Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

 

New York
12 June 2014

 

Mr. Chairman,

An estimated 1 billion people of the world s population are disabled and 80% of them live in the developing world. It is imperative that we dismantle existing barriers and empower the persons with disabilities.

 

We must advance their inclusion including through incorporation of their perspectives in formulation of development policies and enhancing their accessibility to education, healthcare and employment.

 

We must strengthen international cooperation through exchange of good practices, capacity building and provision of technical assistance.

 

We firmly believe that these issues must be given due consideration as the UN members engage in the elaboration of the post-2015 development agenda. We must craft an inclusive development agenda.

 

Mr. Chairman,

Nationally, our legislative framework is anchored in the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights & Full Participation) Act of 1995, which recognizes persons with disabilities as a valuable human resource. The Act seeks to create an enabling environment for their full participation in society, including in the areas of education, health and employment.

 

Another important legislation is the National Trust for Welfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disability Act of 1999.In addition, the Rehabilitation Council of India Act, 1992 provides for training of manpower for providing rehabilitation services.

 

A new Bill namely the Draft Rights of Persons with Disability Bill, to replace the Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995, is presently before Parliament. This bill would harmonize the national statutory framework with the provisions of UNConvention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities that India signed and ratified in 2007.

 

Mr. Chairman,

In recent years, more laws are now incorporating a disability perspective. For e.g., these includethe National Disaster Management Act 2005; the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act 2009; and the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 2010.

 

The National Building Code 2005 stipulates norms for accessibility in construction of buildings. There are government guidelines to ensure that public places and transportation are gradually made barrier free. The websites of several federal Ministries, including the nodal Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, are now in accessible format as per Web Content Accessibility Guidelines of W3C.

 

India was actively involved in the negotiations of the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired or Otherwise Print Disabled that was concluded in June 2013.

 

Mr. Chairman,

The Department of Disability Affairs under the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment works with several Ministries to coordinate and implement close to thirty programmes and schemes in the areas of health, early intervention, education, vocational training and employment.

 

An extensive network of national, regional and district level institutes and rehabilitation centres, including seven national institutes and eight composite regional centres, has been set up to help promote research on disability issues and to train manpower to meet the needs of persons with disabilities. New national centres of excellence such as National Institute of Universal Design, National Institute of Mental Health Rehabilitation, etc. are being established.

 

The financial allocation under the current Plan has been doubled as compared to the XI Five Year Plan period. Three percent of government employment is reserved for persons with disabilities. The new schemes include scholarships/fellowships for students with disabilities, support for braille presses as well as for assistive devices; awareness generation, etc.

 

We see private sector and civil society as valued partners in our endeavor to empower persons with disabilities and to build a more inclusive society that is more sensitive to their needs. The government has instituted national awards to recognize exemplary contribution in this area.

 

Mr. Chairman,

In conclusion, let me reaffirm our firm commitment to working with all stakeholders in building an enabling environment both nationally, and at the international level, so that all persons with disabilities are able to enjoy their rights and realize their full potential.

 

Thank you.