Govt focussing on comprehensive law for disabled: Minister

Union Minister Thaawar Chand Gehlot also added that PM Modi and the govt are fully committed to empowerment of persons with disability

Government is focussing on enactment of a comprehensive law for differently abled to fulfill India's international obligations following the ratification of UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), Union Minister Thaawar Chand Gehlot said today.

Speaking at the second session of the Working Group on the Asian and Pacific Decade of Persons with Disabilities, 2013-2022, the Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment also said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the government are fully committed to empowerment of persons with disability.

"We are presently focussing on enactment of a new comprehensive law to fulfill our international obligations following ratification of UNCRPD," he said.

Using technology to deliver low cost home-based education through e-learning, providing identity cards to all persons with disabilities so that they can avail government benefits, ensuring access to public facilities, buildings and transport and developing income generation models to ensure economic independence are among the measures envisaged, he said.

Later, speaking to reporters at the sidelines of the event, Gehlot made an apparent reference to Right of Persons with Disabilities Bill, 2014, and said the legislation related to the rights of disabled is already under the consideration of Parliament.

Earlier in his speech, the Minister also said that the government has chalked out a roadmap with specific time frame to implement the Incheon strategy, which focusses on ten goals to build a better future for persons with disabilities.