News

Volume 3 Issue 7 - April 01, 2005

Legal cell in Orissa to support disabled people

DNIS News Network - Swabhiman to launch Legal Cell in Orissa to give special legal support and advice to disabled people in all 30 districts of the State.

A Legal Cell for disabled people will be launched on 12 April in Orissa. This fulfills a long-felt need of disabled people in the State, who felt that despite the Disability Act of 1995, not enough was being done to safeguard their rights. Persons with disabilities still struggle with employment, education, access and acceptance issues, and this was reflected in the numerous cases of injustice seen across the state. Disabled people, doubly vulnerable due to discrimination, suffered in silence for several years till Swabhiman, an NGO in the State, decided to take the initiative. It will set up a Legal Cell in collaboration with N.C.P.E.D.P., New Delhi , and All Orissa Young Lawyers' Forum, with the support of the British High Commission, New Delhi .

The Cell will target and tackle all cases related to physical, sexual and emotional abuse, barriers to access, inadequate social security, educational and professional discrimination, financial and material exploitation and neglect. The lawyers in the Cell will give advice and counsel, support cases in the court of law, and campaign to strengthen the law and the rights of the disability sector.

Several consultative meetings have already been held and case studies analysed prior to the launch of the Cell.