REPORT & RECOMENDATIONS OF

SOUTHERN REGIONAL WORKSHOP

“Role of Stakeholders in Implementing UNCRPD”

Dr.Neeradha Chandramohan
Director, NIEPMD

National Institute for Empowerment of Persons with Multiple Disabilities, (NIEPMD)

has organized a Southern Regional Workshop at Chennai, on the theme, ““Role of
Stake holders in implementing UN- Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities (UNCRPD) in India” for two days from 15-16 April 2010. The venue was
Green Coconut, East Coast Road, Chennai

The following priority areas were identified and kept for discussion in the workshop:-
 Overview on UNCRPD
 Implication of UNCRPD for HRD Institutions
 Implication of UNCRPD for Service Providers (a).GO’s (b). NGO’s
 Implication of UNCRPD for Parents and PWD’s
 Implication of UNCRPD for National Institutes

Participants for the above workshop were all professional from NGO’s and GO’s
working in the field of disability or having major contributory role in disability
rehabilitation & management. Altogether there were 92 members from the Southern
States of India comprising of Kerala (10), Tamil Nadu (21), Chennai (24), Andhra
Pradesh (18), Karnataka (8), and Pondicherry (10).

Inaugural function was presided by Mrs. Poonam Natarajan, Chairperson, National

Trust, and Keynote address was delivered by Dr.J.P.Singh Member Secretary, RCI,
New Delhi. Dr.T.A.P.Varadakutti, President, Tamilnadu Association for Welfare of the
Physically Handicapped, Chennai, Ms. Meenakshi, Asst. Coordinator, Disability
Legislation Unit, Vidyasagar, Chennai, and Prof.P.Jeyachandran, Director, Vijaya
Human services were the special guests of honor. Valedictory function was chaired by
Dr.Tomy Mampilly Incharge Director Director, Dr.L.Govinda Rao,
Prof.P.Jeyachandran, Shri.J.P.Gadkari, Shri. Vijakanth and the Organizing
Coordinators Dr.J.Vijayalakshmy & Dr.K.Balabaskar

The resource persons for the above workshop were-

Sl.No Particulars Resource Person

1. Key Note address Dr.J.P.Singh, Member Secretary,
Rehabilitation Council of India, New Delhi
2. Overview on UNCRPD Prof.P.Jeyachandran, Director,
Vijaya Human Services, Chennai
3. Implication of UNCRPD for Mrs.Poonam Natarajan, Chairperson,
Service Providers a. GO’s and National Trust, New Delhi
b.NGO’s
4. Implication of UNCRPD for HRD Dr. L. Govinda Rao, Chief Mentor,
Institutions. Matrix Institute, Secunderabad
5. Implication of UNCRPD for Shri.J.P.Gadkari, President, Parivaar,
Parents and PWD’s Bangalore and Shri. Vijakanth, COM,

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 Parivaar, Bangalore
6. Implication of UNCRPD for Dr. Tomy Mampilly,
National Institutes In charge Director, NIEPMD.

The workshop addressed the implication of UNCRPD for HRD institutions,

Professionals, Service Providers, GO’s & NGO’s and Persons with Disabilities. The
recommendations of the workshop were complied and submitted and transmitted for
further plan of action. Further while the Rehabilitation Council of India, New Delhi has
accorded the CRE status to the programme and the Ability Foundation, Chennai has
supported as media collaborates and covered the entire workshop for text in Success
& Ability Magazine.

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The following are the recommendations made by the participants in the said
workshop:-

GROUP – I. TOPIC : OVERALL APPLICATION WITH ITS PROVISIONS

AND CONVENTIONS OF UNCRPD
Article 1:
 To promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human
rights and fundamental freedom by all persons with disabilities, duly promoting
inherent dignity
 The objectives of UNCRPD need to be executed and made mandatory as per
Indian constitution
Article 2: Definitions
 Uniform definitions with the description of characteristics of disabilities
Article 3: General principles
 Sensitization of the PWDs regarding their rights to ensure proper
implementation.
Article 5: Equality and Non-discrimination
 Increasing the reservation from 3 to 5 percent with an inbuilt component of 1
percent each for intellectually disabled and multiply disabled
 Right to cast their vote – there should be a guiding system to help persons with
disabilities ( Especially for persons with intellectual disabilities) to take
decisions
 Rewards for franchises providing job opportunities to the PWDs
 Involvement of HR Commission in all the Disability Management programmes,
irrespective of nature.
Article 6: Women with disabilities
 To give appropriate priorities for the women with Disabilities
Article 7: Children with disabilities
 Promoting self advocacy for children with disabilities
Article 8: Awareness raising
 Guidance and counseling centers at inclusive school both for the disabled &
non disabled children and also their parents
 Sensitization of authorities at Central, State , District and local level
Article 9: Accessibility
 Identify and eliminate obstacles & barriers duly assuring comfort at
convenience for accessing their environment, transportation, public facilities,
services, and information & communications technologies.
 Enhanced budget allocation fulfilling every need.

Article 10: Right to life

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  Measures to curb infanticide.
 Constitution of a community through the social welfare department to prevent
abandoning the children with disabilities
Article 11: Situations of risks and humanitarian emergencies
 Priorities must be given to children and persons with disabilities during the
natural disasters
Article 12: Equal recognition before the law
 Similar to the implementation of un-touchability act strict implementation of
disability act with regard to discrimination is to be in force with much more
concurrence.
Article 13: Access to justice
 Create awareness on the existing legal help (lawyer) for the disabled population,
Families, and communities
Article 14: Liberty and security of a person
 Organize awareness regarding liberty, security to families of PWDs and
community and also to know the existing services meant for PWDs
 Introduction of exclusive Toll free helpline for the PWDs with due public
information.
Article 15: Freedom from torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or
punishment
 Protection of the disabled persons with the help of strict laws
 Medical / scientific research studies only with the consent of the PWD
Article 16: Freedom from exploitation, violence and abuse
 Laws and administrative measures must guarantee freedom from exploitation,
violence and abuse.
 In case of abuse, concerned States shall promote the recovery, rehabilitation &
reintegration of the victim and investigate the abuse
Article 19: Living independently and being included
 Create awareness among the community focusing the abilities alone at hike.
Article 20: Personal mobility and independence
 Affordable personal mobility, training in mobility skills and access to mobility
aids, devices, assistive technologies and live assistance
 More assistive devices need to be developed for multiple disabilities
Article 21: Access to information
 Availability of information in a simple and precise format adhering to the
current technology, not only in general but also in Braille, sign language and
other forms of communication.
Article: 22
 Secrecy protection of their personal, health and rehabilitation
 Persons with disabilities are not to be subjected to arbitrary or illegal
interference with their privacy, family, home, correspondence or
communication.
Article 23: Respect for home and the family

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  Develop family counseling centers for parents of disabled to get clarifications
regarding their child rearing practices and allied issues

Article 24: Education: Need to strengthen the existing inclusive Education setups
(SSA) facilitating equal access to primary & secondary education, vocational training,
adult education and all time learning with appropriate materials, techniques and
forms of communication.
 Vocational training centers in normal schools
 Exclusive ministry for the disabled welfare at both the Centre and State level
Article 25: Health
 Schemes for enhanced health, Life insurance and medical claim are to be
evolved for PWDs.
 Mobility hospitals need to be extended to remote & rural areas
Article 26: Habilitation and rehabilitation
 Extension of CBR programme / services in the non availability of rehab services
with top priority to early intervention
Article 27: Work and employment
 Introduction of career guidance, appointment of placement officers for PWDs,
establishment of special employment exchange, promotion of employment
through melas at public and private sector are to be exercised.
Article 28: Adequate standard of living and social protection
 Enhanced lively hood programmes through poverty elevation schemes
facilitating equal opportunities for women and children with disabilities and
also appropriate Social entitlements.
Article 29: Participation in political and public life
 Provisions for Braille electronic voting machines (EVM) with appropriate
concurrent braile ballot papers.
 Reservation for disabled persons to compete in elections.
Article 30: Participation in cultural life, recreation, leisure and sports.
 Promotion of cultural, recreational and sports with exclusive concentration at
district/ state/central level.
Article 31: Data pertaining to disabilities needs to be updated and made available in
simple and
Precise format with accuracy.
Article 32: International cooperation.
 Periodical international conferences and projects with dissemination of
information through media.

Conclusion
• Need for training, capacity building, awareness raising and mainstreaming
disability in all development activities
• Teaching sign language to a huge population is difficult as there are differences
in signs pertaining to a region, yet finger spelling could be taught to community
leaders.

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• Charter on services with time schedule on every aspects of rehabilitation
services is to be introduced.
• Promotion of convergence in coordination with the concerned departments.
• Gazette status to the UNCRPD and its provisions.

GROUP II. TOPIC: IMPLICATION OF UNCRPD ON

SERVICE PROVIDERS (A) GO’s (B) NGO’s

 Implications for GOs is to strive for state of art technology in all sphere of
human life of PWDs as emphasized in Article 4.1 a and 2, 3, 4 & 5 with
complementary support from NGOs
 Article 5 – GOs must strive for creating legal machinery to deal with
discriminatory activities. In addition, NGO’s has to act as sentinels and
pressure groups for the promotion of social harmony.
 Article 6 – welfare of women with disabilities must be dealt on priority duly
strengthening the existing services and planning of succeeding services for
prosperity.
 Creation of accessible environment to children with disabilities to enjoy every
human right and freedom on par with other.
 Execution of equal rights through awareness on the objectives of UNCRPD.
 Barrier of any form, are to be discarded at once to assure accessible
environment by every means.
 Curbing of recruiting for the experiment without consent and harassment &
torture of any form to protect rights for the promotion of independence.
 Safeguarding of human rights on par with international human treaty.
 Creation of standard mechanism for the protection of both mental and physical
integrity.
 Enactment of legislation promoting the livelihood with reasonable standard of
living
 Constitution of independent authority to monitor resource allocation
&utilization, implementation of standard services, provision of appropriate aids
& appliances, freedom of expression and allied aspects.
 Comprehensive service delivery models, patternized on need based services.
 Recognition in political decision-making, respect for privacy, promotion of
inherent dignity & self-advocacy, equal opportunities with maximum potentials,
legal cells to deal with violations and enactment of concurrent legislation are to
be prioritized.
 Monitoring of funds, development of software for certification , planned
campaign mode for disability awareness in coordination with NGO’s facilitating
maximum social mobility

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 GROUP NO III. TOPIC: IMPLICATION OF UNCRPD FOR
NATIONAL INSTITUTE

 NI s to conduct Short Term Programs to all concerned professionals.

 Time to time instructions /orders to State / Central Government and other
agencies by the Ministry of SJ&E, GOI based on the recommendations of NIs.
 The UNCRPD, its objectives and implementation is to added as a mandatory
subject for all academics programmes irrespective of nature.
 Impart training in the subject of UNCRPD to the employees right from grass
root level.
 Every information pertaining to different categories of PWD, the existing
services, approaches, the authorities responsible are to be displayed in simple
and precise manner in the website and the same is to be updated periodically.
 Awareness on UNCRPD through electronic and print media
 The subject of UNCRPD and programmes pertaining to disability rehabilitation
are to be taken up while organizing competitions such as essay writing,
debates, mime, cultural programmes etc.,

 Workshops and conferences are to be organized on a uniform basis, at

Regional/State /National Level with regular intervals.
 To set up a National Institute for Vocational Rehabilitation comprising of all
categories.
 Translation of UNCRPD into regional languages.

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 GROUP IV. TOPIC: IMPLICATION OF UNCRPD FOR PARENTS & PWD’s

 The present reservation to PWD limits positive discrimination only to three

categories. The PWD Act 1995 and all other social, criminal and civil
legislations have to be brought in harmony with the spirit of UNCRPD, While
harmonizing care should be taken to keep the better provisions under different
Acts. For example, the Education covers children from 6 to 14 under the RTE
Act while it is up to 18 years under PWD Act.
 UNCRPD has enabled the PWD to claims rights not only according to National
legislations but also with international forums.
 The vision of professionals as well as mind set of professionals are to be much
broader and needs to be interwoven with team approach and the same is to be
incorporated into the methodology dealing with disability unit.
 The mindset of parents, family and community also should be changed from
pity to charity model to accept disability as one more variable duly recognizing
the dignity of person with disability.
 Not only the teachers and Principals of Schools working with non – disabled but
also the teachers in regular school are to be dealt as one while imparting
training, so that mutual exchange on related issues promoting integration and
inclusion to the maximum possible extent could be achieved.
 The PWD Act and the State should provide need-based assistance to the deaf
and deaf-blind. The present system of providing ability aids should also include
the services of personal interpreters, especially the deaf-blind.
 Legal guardianship under the National Trust Act should continue and as such
needs to promote capacity building of the individual with focus on Supported
Decision Making.
 Integrated or inclusive education is not panacea for all the disabled. It should
be selective and the disabled /parent should make an informed choice. The
problem is quite marked among those with hearing impairment, what with
limited number of institutions and the difference in opinion on
teaching/communicating methods.
 The possibility of considering Mentally Retarded in suitable jobs need to be
viewed seriously and possible opportunities are to be created duly modifying the
recruitment rules.
 The literacy rate among possible category of disabled need to be enhanced
through preparing a road map for development of educational facilities for
PWDs.
 The RTE Roadmap has taken care to ensure implementation and monitoring by
a National and State commission. The RTE is providing Parent representations
in the School administration at local levels. Parents of PWD should also find a
place in this.
 A Commission at National & State level is required to monitor and implement
the objectives of UNCRDP for PWD’s.
 Extension of appropriate vocational avenues promoting vocational
empowerment is to be dealt at length and appropriate strategies are to be
arrived.

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 Health plan and helpline are to be developed and made available at reach

GROUP-V.TOPIC: - IMPLICATION OF UNCRPD FOR HRD INSTITUTIONS

• Course Title: Comprehensive Training Module for Rehabilitation Workers:-

– Special Educators, General Teachers, CBR/Health workers etc…
– Trade Analysis (Market Analysis of Demand)
• Curriculum Content:-Anatomy, Physiology, First Aid, Early
Detection/Screening, Stages of Disability – continuum, Pedagogy , Psychiatric
Signs and Symptoms, Curriculum Content, Communication, Self Help, ADL,
Mobility, Cognition Training, Learning Enhancement/Support, Assistive
Technology, Curriculum Contents Contd…, Aids and Appliances/Architectural
Barriers, Job Training/Options, Social Innovation – Long Term Thinking,
Inclusion, Legal Rights/Schemes/benefits, Rehab. Counseling – Theory and
Practice.

• Target Groups:-Medical Professionals, Paramedics, Rehab Professionals,

Village Health Nurses, PHC Workers, ICDS Workers, Community, Family ,
Panchayat – Leaders/ Councilors and Workers, SHGs – Women/Youth Groups,
DPO, Govt. Officials – , Police/Revenue/Transport Dept, State Information
Officers, CSR Groups, Students, Management & Resources/Referral Centres ,
Schools – Primary, High Schools, SUPW/NSS/Social Work, Project Work,
Exposure visits – College, Management Students, Block Placement, Credit
Courses.
• Types of Courses:- Direct Courses /Distance education, Certificate Courses-
3mths/6mths, Diploma Courses – 1 Year, PG Diploma Courses-2 yrs/3 years,
Graduate & Post Graduate Courses, M.Phil /PhD , Specialization, Refresher
Courses.
• Professionals:- Medical – One Compulsory CME, Legal - Moot Court, Advanced
course on Disability Management for Students on Human Development,
Existing SSA Teachers on Comprehensive Management of Children with
Special Needs”.

• Others recommendations:-
• The HRD programmes pertaining to disability management should bear much
more emphasis and relevance on scientific aspect of disability management.
• Introducing Interdisciplinary curriculum developers meeting periodically to
modify the existing strategies to cater the exact need.
• Extension of support and supervision for ongoing programs and gradual
reduction of support later.
• Capacity building of NGO’s not only in the area of disability management but
also in the allied areas for the preparation of the community & families.
• Orientation and refresher courses for the professionals to be abreast with the
latest.
• Initiate, develop and promote appropriate programmes basing on the UN
guidelines that in turn could strengthen the existing services, to promote higher
degree of independency in PWD’s.