India News | Vice Prez Calls for Change in People's Mindset Towards Differently-abled
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday called for a change in people's mindset towards the 'Divyangjan' or differently-abled and said it is the responsibility of the government and society at large to prevent any kind of discrimination against them.
Hyderabad, Apr 17 (PTI) Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday called for a change in people's mindset towards the 'Divyangjan' or differently-abled and said it is the responsibility of the government and society at large to prevent any kind of discrimination against them.
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Stressing the need for creating an environment for them to thrive and excel, the Vice President said, "they do not need our sympathy, they rightfully deserve every opportunity to develop their full potential."
Speaking at the National Institute for the Empowerment of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities (NIEPID) here during his visit to the institute, Naidu appreciated NIEPID for its work in empowering persons with Intellectual Disability and their families.
Pointing out that accessibility was an important area of intervention for the disabled people, Naidu cited the positive impact of the 'Accessible India' campaign and called for more interventions in the areas of environment, transport, information and communication systems.
He further said it was essential to sensitise teachers and non-teaching staff in schools towards the needs of the differently-abled children.
While suggesting that it was important "to ensure that technology does not exclude differently-abled people," he urged national institutions and universities in the country to accelerate their work relating to accessible smart technology.
Naidu made a pitch for all-round efforts to make the 'Divyangjan' people financially independent by identifying and honing their skills from a young age.
Noting that the core values of India are those of 'Sarvejana Sukhino Bhavantu' and 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam', he urged everyone – including the government, private sector, civil society and families to take initiatives to empower the differently-abled and fulfil their duty or 'dharma.'
The vice president laid stress on the importance of early detection and identification of children at risk for disability conditions.
Naidu also recommended to NIEPID to have a tie-up with institutions like the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology for early detection of disability risk among children.
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)