THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Within two years, the Government will issue identity cards for every disabled person in the State under ‘Vaikalyamoksham’, a scheme under the National Programme for Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities (NPRPD), said Social Welfare Minister M K Muneer at a seminar organised by the Kerala State Handicapped Persons’ Welfare Corporation here on Tuesday. He said the differently abled person can use the card for all PSU-related work. With the intention of making it hassle-free for the user, the card need not have to be renewed once it is issued. Muneer added that pension for differently abled will be increased and a plan will soon be devised to ensure that the amount is issued to the receiver on time. He also promised that totally blind people will also be allowed to become teachers in educational institutions. “No building will be given permit if it fails to house facilities to enable a differently abled person to use it and all websites under the State government institutions are to go user friendly for blind people”, the Minister said. Mayor K Chandrika, in her presidential address, said that differently abled people still remain in the marginalised sector of the society and therefore they must be brought to the mainstream. Rehabilitation to these people must be done so as to empower them to overcome their disabilities with determination. The seminar had three sessions on various facets of rehabilitation of differently abled, followed after a talk by G Vijayaraghavan, Member of State Planning Board. Prof K A Chandrasekharan, Honorary Consultant of Kerala State Handicapped Persons’ Welfare Corporation, spoke on the ‘Factors and levels in comprehensive rehabilitation of differently abled’. The session dealt with the factors that make a disabled person not receiving an equally important role along with his peers in the society. Session-Two was handled by Raseena Padmam, director, School of Behavioural Science, MG University, Kottayam. Speaking on the topic ‘Mainstream development process and comprehensive rehabilitation of differently abled, she explained the physical, psychological, social and spiritual dimensions of rehabilitation. She pointed out the merits, demerits and efforts to be taken on rehabilitating a differently abled child while mainstreaming. Adv P P Syamala Devi, District Panchayat president of Kasargod, led the session on ‘Local self-government institutions, Empowerment of differently abled and financial utility’. The session carried out the need to practically implement the rehabilitation programme at the block, village and corporation levels. A K Shaji, Managing Director of Kerala State Handicapped Persons’ Welfare Corporation and K N Pavithran, former executive director of NISH, were present on the occasion.
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