Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Saturday called for a shift in perception toward individuals labelled as “disabled”. “They are not disabled; we take them to be disabled,” he pointed out while addressing the 10th National Conference on Disability in Gurugram. Those who outwardly appear physically able may harbour some form of disability, whether visible or hidden, and nobody is truly complete, he elaborated.
Stating that true disability encompasses more than just what meets the eye and extends to the realms of mental, spiritual, and emotional challenges, he called for addressing all forms of disabilities and structuring suitable solutions for the same.
The press release from the VP’s Secretariat mentioned that in his speech, Jagdeep Dhankhar also stressed that differently-abled people must not be considered objects of sympathy, but deserve recognition for their wealth of knowledge, aptitude, inclination and expertise. The VP emphasized on the need to create an eco-system whereby we empower our disabled people who hold immense talent that can be leveraged.
Underlining the risk of fostering dependency rather than empowerment, Jagdeep Dhankhar called for the need to prioritise empowerment, especially amongst the vulnerable sections including the disabled, women, and minorities, he urged major corporate entities to direct their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds towards empowering these sections of society.
The VP expressed contentment with the enactment of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act in 2016 while underscoring the importance of “thinking out of the box and being innovative” to enhance the lives of disabled individuals. “Everyone must contribute in one way or another”, he urged.
At the event, the Vice-President also visited the Ability Museum ‘Museum of Possibilities’ at the Sarthak Global Resource Centre during his visit.
The 10th National Conference on Disability is being jointly organized by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disability, Sarthak Educational Trust, and the National Abilympic Association of India.
