News

Volume 6 Issue 13 - December 15, 2009

World Disability Day celebrations held at India Gate

World Disability Day 2009 celebration at India Gate

D.N.I.S News Network, India: Thousands of people from all across the country gathered at India Gate, New Delhi to join the World Disability Day celebrations on December 3. The event was organized by National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (N.C.P.E.D.P.) in collaboration with National Association of Deaf (N.A.D.). This was the 13th ‘Walk to Freedom’ and this year’s theme was ‘Say No to Amendments. Say Yes to New Law’.

The three demands that the disability sector put forward were the need for a new Disability Act, in line with U.N. Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities; implementation of promises made to the disability sector under the XIth Five Year Plan; and easy and faster access to disability certificates.

Voicing the sentiments of the disability sector, Javed Abidi, Honorary Director, N.C.P.E.D.P. said, “We, the 70 million disabled people of India, want to be equal citizens, to be able to work, to be self reliant, to be able to serve our nation, to be able to contribute to its economy, become tax payers and not to be a burden to society.”

A cultural programme was organised where disabled children from various organizations took part. An exhibition was also organized by National Trust on its ‘Badhte Kadam’ initiative which aimed at spreading awareness on disability issues. Posters, booklets, etc. were showcased in the exhibition.

The event was supported by S.A.I.L., O.N.G.C., N.T.P.C., B.H.E.L, and Infosys. Jatinder Peters of O.N.G.C. and Amulya Kapoor of Infosys were present and addressed the gathering.