News

Volume 4 Issue 6 - March 15, 2006

National Policy for Persons with Disability released on M.S.J.E. website

D.N.I.S. News Network- The National Policy for Persons with Disability has been released by Ministry for Social Justice and Empowerment (M.S.J.E.) on its website in Hindi and English languages.

The Policy was approved by the Union Cabinet in December 2005 at a meeting presided over by Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh.

The disability sector is now anxious to study the contents of this National Policy that will not only have a direct bearing on the lives of approximately 70 million disabled people but will also fundamentally determine the course of its future interventions.

It needs to be mentioned here that it was only after an intense media campaign and outcry by Disabled Rights Group (D.R.G.) and others in the disability sector on the lack of participation by persons with disabilities and Disabled Peoples’ Organisations that M.S.J.E. had held a daylong National Consultation on the Draft National Policy for Persons with Disabilities. At the National Consultation Meeting, D.R.G. had expressed strong objection to the top-down approach taken in formulating the Draft which is a violation of the mandate of Biwako Millennium Framework.