Welfare of persons with disabilities: Basic Concerns

International day for persons with disabilities is being observed on 3^rd December year after year with emphasis on welfare of the persons with disabilities. While the incumbent Government has eased the difficulties for the persons with disabilities in processing their applications for issuance of disability certificates by easing the process for online issuance of disability certificates, still many issues concerning the welfare of persons with disabilities have remained unnoticed and consequently unresolved. Obviously one of the biggest welfare measures for the persons with disabilities is their education and employability. Unfortunately there is no reservation for children with disabilities in either Government or private schools. While the Government schools don’t dare to refuse admissions to children with disabilities as a matter of policy, the private schools for one reason or the other overly and covertly refuse admission to children with disabilities and this highly objectionable policy of private schools generates a sense of discrimination among the children with disabilities and their parents. Had the Government fixed reservations in admissions for children with disabilities the private schools won’t dare to refuse admission to children with disabilities on their own whims and wishes. Much better it would be for the Government to seek annual reports on admissions of children with disabilities from both Government and private schools from all the districts of both Kashmir Valley and as well as Jammu division. While the incumbent Government in Jammu & Kashmir talks much about the reservation of schedule caste and schedule tribes in Government jobs and representation in legislative bodies, it lays comparatively lesser emphasis on reservation for persons with disabilities in recruitments for Government departments by J&K Services Selection Board (J&KSSB) and J&K Public Service Commission (J&K PSC). While reservation for persons with disabilities for the recruitments to central Government departments through staff selection commission (SSC) and UPSC is quite satisfactory, it is very fortunate that reservations for recruitments to Government departments untaken by J&K SSB and J&K PSC are not to similar to those fixed by Staff Selection Commission (SSC) and Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). While changing the reservation rules for Government jobs the incumbent J&K Government would do justice with the physically challenged persons if it reviews reservation rules for them with the intent of increasing their share in Government jobs the recruitment for which is undertaken by J&K SSB and J&K PSC from time to time. Not only increasing their share in Government jobs through changes in the reservation quota but increasing the upper age limit by one or couple of years for persons with disabilities could also bring respite to them in their struggle for Government jobs. Not only Government jobs but bigger opportunities for persons with disabilities in industrial entrepreneurship would also throw up new avenues of economic empowerment for physically challenged people.