Kathmandu, March 28:

People living with disabilities (PLD) today came up with a 13-point Kathmandu Declaration, seeking that the new con address their needs and issues.

A total of 200 PLDs from 40 districts discussed the issues related to disabilities during their two-day national gathering organised by Nepal Disabled Human Rights Centre (DHRC-Nepal). Participants said that the new constitution needs to incorporate the points mentioned in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Person with Disabilities and Optional Protocol -2006 that Nepal is already signatory to.

They also said education, health and employment of the PLDs should be considered the fundamental rights in the new constitution. And a separate constitutional commission should be established to promote and protect the rights of the PLDs.

According to the declaration, the government should ratify the UN Convention on the Rights

of People with Disabilities and Optional Protocol — 2006 and implement it immediately.

Discriminatory legal provision needs to be scrapped and PLDs-related legal provisions and regulations need to be modified and brought into the practice.

At least 10 per cent of the total seats at government, non-government and private organisations should be reserved for qualified and capable PLDs, they said. People living with extreme disabilities should be provided unemployment allowances and a special programme needs to be introduced to bring wider participation of women and children living with disabilities, the declaration stated, adding the state should play a supporting role for them.

The declaration stated victims of Jana Andolan II should receive treatment, employment and free education to their children. A special programme needs to be introduced to promote Braille and sign languages to promote their communication of PLDs.

The state should take all the responsibilities of rehabilitation and treatment of children living

with disabilities. Awareness programmes should be launched to prevent disabilities and change attitude among public towards disabilities.

Sudharshan Subedi, president of DHRC-Nepal, said that the declaration will be submitted to the Prime Minister. On the occasion, the representatives of the eight political parties expressed their solidarity and determination to ensure their rights of PLDs.