Member of Parliament Kartikeya Sharma brought up the topic of the government’s efforts to lessen the dependency on people with disabilities (PwD) on Thursday.
In a written response to the Upper House the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities has acknowledged that more than 3500 positions are reserved in the government employment programme in accordance with Section 34 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016.
The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment unambiguously said that the ministry has been executing many programmes to assist the disabled persons with the purchase of equipments and its proper fittings, among others. Government pays for treatment and operations for people with disabilities and offers assistive devices as well. Yet, only people who fall into this income category are allowed to avail this facility. It is a remarkable step to provide help for poor, disabled persons. In addition, the department offers financial assistance to those handicapped persons through the National Fund. Similar benefits are offered under the Ayushman Bharat Plan, which is run by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Moreover, the Rehabilitation Council of India Act, 1992, is governed by the Ministry of Social Justice, provides guidelines for professionals working in the disability field by conducting new rehabilitation courses and programmes.
The accessibility standards have been announced by the Ministries of Electronics and Information Technology, Housing and Urban Affairs, and Culture to encourage easy access for people with disabilities and make them self-reliant.
