Emphasising that there would be no dearth of funds for the disability sector, Shri Wasnik also announced the setting up of a National Centre to facilitate and support the development of universal design and barrier-free built environment. The process to set up this Centre has already been initiated with the formation of a Task Force to work out the details of the proposed National Centre for Universal design and Barrier-free Environment.
Shri Wasnik said that 100 unserved districts have been identified for setting up new District Disability Rehabilitation Centres (DDRCs) and work is in progress in consultation with the concerned States. Similarly, to provide comprehensive rehabilitation services for all persons with disabilities and impart training under one roof, the Ministry has decided to establish two more Composite Regional Centres (CRCs) in the States of Kerala and Gujarat respectively. The Governments of Kerala and Gujarat have agreed to provide land and accommodation to set up the centers respectively at Kozhikode and Ahmadabad. The new CRCs are likely to be sanctioned by the end of March.
The Minister also said that a new Legislation will be brought very soon to replace Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995 (PwD Act), which would be suitably aligned with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). This would be done as soon as the Committee headed by Smt. Sudha Kaul gives its draft for the new legislation. It is expected that the committee will give its report before 31st March this year.
The three-day deafblind conference has been organized by Sense International (India) with the support from four apex bodies of the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment. Deafblindness is a combination of visual and hearing impairment in an individual leading to complex challenges in communication, mobility and accessing information. It is estimated that there are about 450,000 deafblind people in India.
Indian Sign Language Research & Training Centre to be Set up This Year
Special Correspondent - 2011-01-20 17:18
New Delhi: The Union Minister for Social Justice & Empowerment, Shri Mukul Wasnik has said that an Indian Sign Language Research & Training Centre will be set up very soon in the country. Announcing this at the inaugural session of the 3-day National Conference on Deafblindnes which began here today, the Minister said that a lot of spade work has already been done in this regard and efforts are being made by his Ministry to set up the Sign Language Centre at the earliest.