Govt to ensure dignity, empowerment of physically-disabled: PM

Pointing out that those with physical disabilities may have "extraordinary capabilities", Prime Minister Narendra Modi today expressed his government's resolve to ensure dignity and empowerment of the differently-abled.
"Whenever we label a person as handicapped, our eyes begin to search for the particular body part which may be deformed, severed or lacking in strength.
"This attitude must change as it makes people lose sight of the extraordinary capabilities that such an unfortunate person may be endowed with," Modi said at a function here.
The Prime Minister said "a person who is blind, can obviously not read. But he can decipher the Braille script with the help of his fingertips. In this way, he possesses an ability that those with sound eyesight are unlikely to have developed. We need to look at the differently-abled with this approach."

"And that is what I was driving at when I recently expressed the opinion that instead of calling them viklang we consider the use of the word divyang," Modi said at the function where motorized tricycles, hearing aids, specially-designed smart phones and tablets and other such appliances were given to more than 9,000 people with physical or mental disabilities.
He said the NDA government has, since coming to power less than two years ago, organized more than 1800 such camps. "Events like these underscore our government's commitment to the issue, which is demonstrably greater than all the previous regimes that have been in place since 1992, when a separate department for the welfare of the disabled came into being.

"Such events also go a long way in eliminating middlemen," Modi added.
The Prime Minister said "persons with disabilities, when given a chance, do their society and country proud. Indian participants have often excelled in sporting events held for the differently-abled.
"Hence, we need to acknowledge that the society at large too has a moral responsibility towards them. Social attitudes take time to change," Modi said adding "our government will take the lead and we will ensure that all public buildings are equipped with facilities like ramps and specially-designed toilets.