| Everyday, workers in nursing scrubs witness people | | | | promised by senior planning commission members that |
| cry in pain as they hear doctors say “Sorry, we | | | | it would be done. But nothing has happened so far," |
| can do nothing at all.” Mothers’ hearts are torn | | | | said T K M Sandeep, coordinator, The Deaf Way, an |
| apart when they discover their newborn babies having | | | | NGO working with people with hearing disabilities. The |
| physical disabilities. Some develop syndromes leading | | | | group is asking for special schools up to Class XII in |
| to complicated health problems that soon left them | | | | each state and in each college, a sign language |
| handicapped. But what is sadder is the stigma they | | | | academy, interpreters and captions on telecasts, which |
| have to face living with disabilities. | | | | is just right. Education is one big aspect that can break |
| There are 650 million people living with disabilities | | | | the barrier that holds disabled people from fully |
| worldwide, and they all experience discrimination in | | | | participating in the society. |
| many different ways. U.S. Pres. Barack Obama said, in | | | | In Beijing China, disabled people called for accessible |
| a presidential proclamation, that discrimination against | | | | travel. Improvement in security and social services are |
| physically challenged people in workplaces and in | | | | what they want as the country has 83 million of the |
| communities still happen in the United States. He also | | | | 650 million disabled worldwide. If government leaders |
| mentioned that 90 percent of children with disabilities in | | | | are encouraging them to integrate into the society, the |
| developing nations are not able to attend school, and | | | | means through which they would be able to reach out |
| that women are all too often subjected to deep | | | | to must be provided first. Public places should install |
| discrimination. | | | | relevant barrier-free facilities to ease travel in |
| However, discrimination seems to root not only from | | | | connection to the rights of disabled people as |
| bullies in school, workplaces or the community, but also | | | | stipulated in relevant laws and regulation, said Zhou |
| within the United Nations Convention on the Rights of | | | | Wei, a Sichuan University law professor. |
| Persons with Disabilities itself. On Thursday, the | | | | Physically challenged people have capabilities that can |
| National Association of the Deaf in Chennai held a | | | | never be underestimated. In fact, many of them show |
| demonstration condemning the said organization, after | | | | exemplary qualities that have been very helpful to |
| a promise to be included in the Eleventh Five Year | | | | different aspects of the society. May the International |
| Plan did not materialize. | | | | Day of Persons with Disabilities remind everyone, |
| "Our joy turned into sorrow when the plan received no | | | | especially the authorities, that disabled people are a |
| mention in the 2008 budget. In 2009, we were | | | | vital part of the society. |