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International Day for Persons with Disabilities: Despite schemes and benefits, social inclusion still a dream for many
Recently, a supplementary budget of ₹15 crores has been proposed for the completion of goals set for the empowerment of persons with disabilities by the department concerned.
Even with several government agencies introducing schemes and taking steps to help people with special needs in Lucknow, the sad truth remains that there are certain public privileges that such people continue to be deprived of. Even when the community has produced several business owners, athletes and artists, further proving their ability to overcome their circumstances, daily life often proves to be a struggle for many.
Recently, a supplementary budget of ₹15 crores has been proposed for the completion of goals set for the empowerment of persons with disabilities by the department concerned.
Inclusivity ‘missing’ in public spaces
While government schools adopt tools to ensure inclusive learning, inclusivity does not always translate into the real world. Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas and other government schools in the city claim to meet the requirements of their students with disabilities through a government-mandated three-step method--a medical camp to certify that a child has a disability, a measurement camp to ascertain his/her requirements, and then a distribution camp where the tools are provided to the child, explained Nand Kumar, a basic education department official.
The state capital, alone, has 5,310 children with special needs enrolled in government schools.
Sheetal (name changed) has a ten-year-old daughter who was born with hearing impairment and attends a school for children with similar disabilities. “While we get hearing aids for our children and have them study under special educators in special schools, all of which help prepare them for the real world, the real world also has to be prepared to facilitate their further growth,” she said on the eve of International Day for Persons with Disabilities.
That said, hearing-impaired individuals often miss out on block-level administrative meets, panchayat meetings and the likes due to few sign language interpreters. “You can rehabilitate children and equip them all you want, but the real world is not conducive to their needs. Sensitivity among stakeholders and decision-makers in this regard is still missing,” said Dhiresh Bahadur, the founder of Drishti Samajik Sansthan, a shelter home for specially-abled children.
While ramps for the wheelchair-bound have been made compulsory in all government constructions, the same cannot be said for private venues that hold mass public gatherings.
Need for an urgent upgrade of sports infra
It is no secret that many of our gyms, sports centres and similar facilities need an urgent upgrade to make them friendlier for athletes with disabilities. “Even though several of our students are inclined towards sports, they are not able to find coaches or trainers. Moreover, we do not have enough funds to employ more sports teachers,” said Meena Tiwari, principal of Chetna Sansthan, a non-governmental organisation supporting specially-abled individuals, in Aliganj.
“Neither do we have gyms and coaching centres equipped with the necessary infrastructure, nor do the coaches have the sensitivity, patience or formal training to coach children with intellectual disabilities,” said Lalit Patel, the father of an autistic powerlifter.
The Special Olympics Committee for Uttar Pradesh is supposedly working on a solution to attempt to rectify the issue. Dr. Jitendra Mishra, an expert in the committee, said it has plans to create district level committees for better administration. “We will launch a pilot project within the next six months to set up three sports centres for the specially-abled. Then, the plan is to set up a sports centre in every district.”
Public transport: ‘Risky, uncomfortable’
“It is nearly impossible for a wheelchair-bound person to travel in a public bus without the fear of getting pushed or trampled or falling over. Cheap public transport is not entirely accessible to the likes of us,” said Beer Singh, a tailor in Mathura with a partial orthopaedic disability in his left leg. “Not everyone wants to wait for a man who struggles to get on a bus, leave vacating a seat for him... Although I have made my peace with it in adulthood, the situation is certainly not ideal,” he said.
Singh does most of his travelling by bus or train, if he has to. His mobility outside of his home district is fairly restricted due to the inconveniences he faces with public transport. “It has so become that my distant relatives always visit me, and I know that it is out of affection and pity as they know that it is difficult for me to travel comfortably.”
This year, the basic education department has, so far, distributed 290 aids--such as tricycles, wheelchairs, rollator walkers, folding canes, smart canes, crutches, limb calipers, CP (cerebral palsy) chairs, MSIED (multi-sensory inclusive education) kits for the intellectually challenged, hearing aids, Braille slates and kits and DAISY players (Digital Accessible Information System)-- for children with special needs in government schools of Lucknow.
However, Sudha Bajpai, an organiser of annual sports day for specially-abled children, said, “Despite the amenities and special measures, what is lacking is the sensitivity, and understanding that disabled persons are a part of our community. They cannot be sidelined when public facilities are being designed.”
“Until a sensibility for inclusivity is developed, their (people with disabilities) empowerment, which the schemes and benefits promise to ensure, will only remain on paper,” she remarked.
