Deaf CA member wants interpreters

Kathmandu, July 4:

The only disabled member of the CA Raghab Bir Joshi has tabled three agenda in the legislature session of the CA to address the woes of the disabled people and has sought nomination of four disabled persons in the CA.

He has also demanded two interpreters to help him actively take part in the House activities but said he felt disheartened by the government’s indifference towards his demands.

The 46-year-old deaf CA member from CPN-United was born with disability and had worked as the president of Kathmandu Deaf Association and Federation of Deaf and Hearing Impaired. He also runs his printing press and is happily married with a normal woman.

He is one of the 25 disabled persons having driving licences and has no record of accident.

Talking to this daily, he said he had talked to the transportation minister about providing licence to the deaf and said the minister was positive in this regard. As a disabled CA member, he said, he would raise the issues of education, employment and health services and other factors affecting the normal life of disabled people.

He also expressed dissatisfaction over the disruption of the House session.

Another wheel chair-bound disabled person, Indra Kumari Gurung, a graduate in Population Education, is one of the persons proposed by the CPN-Maoist for nomination in the CA by the cabinet.

All the official processes have completed but the oath taking is still remaining due to disruption of House session, she said. She said she would fight for the rights of the disabled.