Dear All
Please see the details of the Paper published in Journal SOCIAL VISION, during January -March 2020:
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EMPOWERMENT OF
PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES – ROLE IN NATION BUILDING
Lakshmi Narayana, N.
Mentor,
Mentor,
Geo Rehabilitation Centre,
ABSTRACT
The Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) have got special abilities and
their rehabilitation & skill development as an empowerment will
significantly contribute for the Nation’s Building. It is the fact that Water,
Poverty, Disability and Development work as a cause and consequence of each
other. The Missions like Clean India, Skill India, Digital India, Make In
India, Startups India and Accessible India works for the Nation Building with
Vision – 2022. Disability Population (PWDs) do have several needs covering
areas of Social, Economic, Individuals, Political, and Environmental (SEIPE).
There exists several Acts and Policies to address the needs of the Disability
Population. The model of Disability Rehabilitation works from the stage of
early identification to empowerment which includes prevention of the causes of
disabilities and development of accessible environments. Civil Society
Organizations do play a key role in empowering Persons with Disabilities by
working with Government and Private on partnership basis. Once got empowered
and for given opportunity, Persons with Disabilities in general and particularly
women can be part of the Nation Building with better effectiveness and efficiency.
The models and strategies developed and implemented are simple, flexible,
scalable, replicable and sustainable matching to the dynamics of the given
environment.
Keywords: Nation Building, Disability,
Acts, Rights, Rehabilitation, Empowerment, Inclusion, Employment,
Entrepreneurship, Quality of Life, Independent Living.
Statement
of the Study
The Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) have got special abilities and
their rehabilitation & skill development as an empowerment will
significantly contribute for the Nation’s Building. This group needs to get
their rights, space and opportunities to live and contribute to People and
Nation at all levels like their counterparts.
Initiatives
Having experience over three decades, author has taken
up several initiatives and some of them were shown in Fig. 10. The key
reflections include:
ü Awareness cum Advocacy: Several Programmes have been conducted for various groups to
understand the needs of Disability Population, get better Acceptance, Acts
& Policies, Schemes & Benefits, and other Service Support Systems. This
helped to reach the groups both quantitatively and qualitatively.
ü Rehabilitation and
Empowerment: Through the channel of several
selected CSOs / NGOs, supported for the Training and Rehabilitation of PWDs as
an Empowerment and able to work for their inclusion.
ü Trainings and Skill
Development: Conducted several programmes and
supported for their improved employability for open employment or self
employment or group employment.
ü Employment / Livelihoods /
Income Generation Programmes: With suitable mode of
revenue generation, economical empowerment of PWDs has been achieved with the
active participation of their Parents. Majority have preferred to work towards
self employment at home with the support of parents or group employment (self
help groups – SHGs) at community with tie up with nearby CSOs / NGOs and other
service minded local federations both for resources (including raw materials)
and marketing.
ü Entrepreneurship: It is the new dimension and in selected cases, groups have been
facilitated to venture into Entrepreneurship. More and more opportunities exist
in this direction and groups or individuals can avail to be the employer with
service to others.
ü Facilitation and Referral
Services: Over the long journey, facilitation cum
referral services have been extended to the Disability Population starting from
the stage of identification to empowerment both socially and economically. Also
supported some of the groups to be the human resources by way of special education
both conventional and non formal (distance mode of education) mode. This is
also important as Disability Sector needs more and more Human Resources (both
qualified and trained).
ü GPN Partnership: With selected NGOs, tried for the GPN Partnership along with the
support of Financial Institutes, Funding Agencies (both National and
International), Foundations, and other Stakeholders at all levels. More and
more need to be worked in this area as it only supports for the Sustainability
of the Disability Population’s Development and to minimize the impact of
Disabilities which includes Prevention of the causes of Disabilities.
ü Workshops & Seminars: Conducted several Workshops and Seminars at selected NGOs on
various topics related to Disability Sector and able to reach stakeholders and
contributed significantly for the development of Disability Population.
ü Mentoring: Understanding the key role to be played by the NGOs and their
dynamics both in Urban and Rural areas (better preference), selected NGOs have
been mentored for integrated and sustainable development. Some of the NGOs’
development and contributions have been appreciated at all levels and got the
support of Funding and Awards with better image on its systems and values.
ü Presentations &
Publications: The developed models and its outcome
with impact have been presented at various Forums, Workshops, Seminars and
other such events. This has helped to reach various groups covering: Disability
Population, Parents, Siblings, Family Members, Students, Youth, Community
Members, Service Organizations, Federations, Financial Institutes, Funding
Agencies, Professionals, Donors, and other Well Wishers. The process of Publications (an inclusive and
integrated model of approaches & studies) in various Journals (National and
International) have improved the visibility and image of the selected
Disability Groups and NGOs who are committed for the empowerment of PWDs.
ü Project Works and
Documentation: Facilitated for the completion of
Project Works of Students of Master Degrees of both Regular and Distance Mode
and contributed for integrated and inclusive studies which preferably supports
for mainstreaming of Disability Population. At selected NGOs, systems and
documents have been developed with better visibility as an evidence based
supports covering what they are doing, what they have received, how they have
implemented and what are the outputs & impact.
ü Sharing &
Dissemination – E Forums: The systems &
documents developed, presentations & publications made have been shared and
disseminated to larger groups with twin advantages of expressing what was done
and to receive guidance & supports. With limited use of physical mode, E Forums
like: emails, face book, bloggers, linked In, twitter and other such mode of
communication have been used effectively with dynamic connectivity. Such
sharing with visibility has helped PWDs and NGOs to get better supports from
all the Sectors / corners covering both National and International origin.
All such initiatives taken up over the last three
decades have supported for the identification, training, rehabilitation,
development, and mainstreaming as an empowerment have resulted for significant
outputs & impact with change in PWDs’ life in an accessible, inclusive,
friendly, and sustainable environments & communities. The empowered
Disability Population have got motivated to be part of the development and contributed
for Nation’s Building.
Nation’s Building is the continuous process and every one need to be
part of this in general and particularly Persons with Disabilities and
recommendations made include:
1.
The impact of Disability should be minimized
with need based strategies and interventions which includes prevention of the
causes of disabilities.
2.
Disability Population with category and
severity along with social-economic condition should be mapped accurately with
accessible database.
3.
Disability Acts and Policies should be
implemented in word and spirit with better accessible and affordable service
delivery systems.
4.
Support DPOs & CSOs to work with
Government and Private on Partnership basis tuning to the model of designing,
implementation, monitoring and evaluation.
5.
Support PWDs to be the entrepreneurs with
input and output supports with special provision when required.
6.
Create scope for the PWDs to be in the
Political representation to support their wish of “nothing about us without us”
& to answer the concern of parents that “what will happen to the child
after us?”.
7.
Every possible opportunity should be created
with better access & space for Disability Population to get empowered for
self and to contribute for the Nation.
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Looking forward
All the best
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