Draft of Right of Persons with Disabilities Bill, 2014 has been sent to the Prime Minister’s Office for consultation. The bill envisages that disability certificate issued to a disabled person in any state of the country will be considered valid anywhere across the country. This is a major breakthrough in protecting the rights of disabled persons. Their predicament was that hitherto their disability certificate was not considered valid in any place outside their state wherefrom the certificate was issued.
If the PMO gives its nod to the bill and that ultimately goes to the Parliament for final approval, it will be an achievement for the disabled persons. In a sense the disability certificate issued to a person is almost his permanent identity card and he can derive benefits of disability whatever and wherever allowed.
Previously, the situation was that if a disabled person moved away from his place where his disability certificate was issued or married in another state and wanted to settle down there, he had to go through many hassles about his disability certificate. Under revised rules now he can obtain the rights and privileges and benefits of disablement at any place in the country where he wants to live.
The Right of Persons with Disabilities Bill, 2014, is an improvement on the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995. Many law makers had been asking for this healthy change in the existing law. While we express satisfaction on the Government bringing in a bill that is entirely based on humanitarian aspect, it carries social implications also. Issuing the disability certificate is not enough. The disabled persons need much more assistance from the Social Welfare Department and the Central and State Governments to make their lives meaningful. They need a source of independent earning; they stand in need of education to become a responsible citizen of the country and above all they need self assurance that they are in no way behind others in creative work.
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