Govt committed to empowering disabled population: Gehlot

A nationwide programme of providing modern technology for persons with disability has been launched by the ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Union minister Thaawar Chand Ghelot, said here today.
Speaking at the Ali Yavar Jung National Institute of speech and hearing disabilities in suburban Bandra, the minister for Social Justice and Empowerment announced cochlear implant for children below the age of 5 years having bilateral congenital severe to profound deafness and upto the age of 12 years having bilateral post lingual deafness.
The Institute has been the nodal agency for this programme, an official release said.
The programme was launched on December 3, 2014 and so far 530 surgeries have been done on children with hearing disabilities who can now hear and speak.

The Institute has empanelled 140 hospitals all over the country and a dedicated website is also developed with a provision for parents to submit applications online for cochlear implant surgery.
During his visit to the Institute, Gehlot planted 125 coconut tree saplings. He was accompanied by Ramdas Athawale, Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment. Both distributed Certificates of Appreciation to parents of children with hearing disability who have benefited under the ADIP Scheme of Cochlear Implant being implemented by the Institute.
The Rights of persons with Disabilities Bill 2016 was passed in Lok Sabha on December 16, Gehlot said, adding Rajya Sabha passed the Bill on December 14 with 119 amendments.