Kathmandu, August 31

The Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration has urged all local levels to submit  progress report to the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, the MoFAGA and the National Human Rights Commission regarding the activities being conducted by them to promote the interest of persons with disabilities.

A circular issued by the MoFAGA today reminded the local levels of the need to implement the report and the declaration adopted through a national and six provincial conferences conducted by the NHRC in June. The report and declaration include issues of protection and promotion of human rights of persons with disabilities. The rights watchdog had recommended that the government provide a monthly subsistence allowance of Rs 3,000 to Rs 5,000 to the disabled depending on their physical and mental conditions.

The report and declaration were adopted on the basis of wide-ranging issues and problems facing persons with disabilities and suggested ways to address them. It also urges the federal, provincial and local governments to clearly specify their duties and responsibilities for the protection of persons with disabilities in their laws as per the constitution, Disability Rights Act, Accessible Physical Structures and Communications Service Guideline for Persons with Disabilities and other related legislation.

The report and declaration also underscore the need to provide for a provision of necessary supporting materials, medicines, personal assistance service and rehabilitation programmes on the basis of their disabilities like intellectual disability, autism, brain haemorrhage, psycho-social disability, multi-disability and spinal cord injury, among others.

At the same time, the report and declaration want the government to ensure that persons with disabilities have access to all information disseminated by the federal, provincial and local governments in universal design. For this, they are supposed to be benefited from Braille script, audio, large printing and sign language.

They also raised the issue of the protracted delay on the part of the concerned authorities in issuing disability identity cards, drew the government’s attention to make them entitled to this facility and highlighted the urgency to launch investigation into the alleged misuse of the identity cards which is exclusively meant for persons with disabilities.

The declaration urges the concerned authorities to make existing public vehicles disabled-friendly and strongly implement the provision of 50 per cent concession and reserved seats.

It also demanded that the government issue driving licence to eligible persons with disabilities without discrimination. Another burning issue raised by the declaration is violence against women and girls with disabilities, guarantee of their free education.