By Nurul Islam Laskar,MMN,
Guwahati, 4 Nov 2014 : International Day of the Persons with Disabilities was observed in a befitting manner by the Indian Army COB Deomornoi, about 65 km from Guwahati, in Darrang District of Assam on Wednesday. Over 100 differently-abled persons along with their attendants and care givers in addition to prominent citizens and media persons of the area took part in the programme.
Maj Chinmoy Pandit and Maj Prithvi Singh welcomed the gathering on behalf of COB Deomornoi and spoke on the significance of the observance of the day with special focus on the current year’s theme – Sustainable Development: The Promise of Technology. The Army authorities also made arrangements for projection of a few video films to motivate the differently-abled persons to excel in life and their family members to extend help to such members of the society.
Maj Chinmoy further informed the gathering that more than one billion people – or approximately 15 per cent of the world’s population – live with some form of disability and have generally poorer health, lower education achievements, fewer economic opportunities, and higher rates of poverty than people without disabilities. He said that persons with disabilities face limitations and hardships largely due to the lack of services available to them.
Jahida Begum Chowdhury, Speech Therapist with long experience in the field of differently-abled support services, delivered a detailed talk explaining the Persons with Disability (PWD) Act, and the functions and objectives of Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI). She urged upon the disabled and their families to be aware of the facilities that are available to them such as concessional tickets during rail journeys, reservation of quota in employment etc.
Ajmal Foundation, a front ranking CSR organisation of the region, joined hands with the Indian Army for observance of the Day. Ikramul Hussain, an activist in the disability sector and representing the Foundation, explained to the gathering the nitty-gritties of the process of obtaining a Disability Identity Card from the Social Welfare Department and its various uses.
Hussain said, “People with disabilities are also at higher risk of violence include stigma, discrimination, and ignorance about disability, as well as a lack of social support for those who care for them. Evidence shows that when barriers to their inclusion are removed and persons with disabilities are empowered to participate fully in societal life, their entire community benefits. Barriers faced by persons with disabilities are, therefore, a detriment to society as a whole, and accessibility is necessary to achieve progress and development for all.”
Speaking on the sidelines, Hussain informed that Ajmal CSR organisations have plans to leverage their activities in the disability sector in a big way in the coming days.
Every differently-abled person present at the programme was given a gift by Ajmal Foundation while the Army authorities served lunch to all present.