New Delhi: Union Minister for Social Justice & Empowerment Shri Thaawar chand Gehlot said that Divyangjan are an integral part of our society and they need to be brought into mainstream. District Disability Rehabilitation Centres (DDRCs) will be strengthened nationwide for the welfare of Divyangjan. Delivering inaugural address at the ‘National Conference on District Disability Rehabilitation Centre (DDRCs)’ organised by the Department of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjans) Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment here today, the Minister said that serving the Divyangjan is a divine service. DDRCs provide comprehensive services to persons with disabilities and facilitate creation of infrastructure and capacity building at the district level for awareness generation, rehabilitation and training of rehabilitation professionals.
He said that the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment has got worldwide recognition in the field of rehabilitation of Divyangjan during past four and half years and for the first time since independence of our country, it has registered six records in the Guinness Book of World records.He added that Universal Identity Cards for the Divyangjan are being prepared, which will be valid nationwide for availing all benefits meant for Divyangjan. 24 States have started process of making Universal Identity Cards.
Shri Gehlot said that all multi-storyed government buildings, railway stations, airports and bus stands are being made accessible for Divyangjan with lifts, ramps and escalators under ‘Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan’. The Ministry has increased the categories of Divyangjan from 7 to 21. Six new scholarships have been started since the year 2015 for the educationalupliftment of Divyangjan. Five per cent reservation has been provided to them for higher education and four per cent in Government jobs. More than 7300ADIP Camps have been organised by the Ministry nationwide, for distribution of assistive devices and equipments to Divyangjan. The Ministry has also arranged Cochlear implant surgeries to 1300 hearing impaired children.
He called upon all sections of society to come forward to help the Divyangjan in bringing them into mainstream to optimise their full potential. Now many Divyangjan have become self-reliant and earning member of their families.The conference is organized for taking the message of DDRCs further, which play a crucial and central role for the wellbeing of Divyangjan and to give clarification about the mechanism of schemes and disseminate the success stories.
Union Minister of State for Social justice & Empowerment Shri Ramdas Athawale, Smt Shakuntala D. Gamblin and Senior officers of the Ministry were present. The participants in the one day conference include District Magistrates of the districts where DDRCs have been set up, Principal Secretaries Social Welfare Department of various states, reputed NGOs, District Social Welfare officers and eminent Doctors etc.
District Disability Rehabilitation Centres (DDRCs) provide comprehensive services to persons with disabilities and facilitate creation of infrastructure and capacity building at the district level for awareness generation, rehabilitation and training of rehabilitation professionals. DDRC scheme has been revised with effect from 01-04-2018. The salient features of the revised schemes are: – Increase in honorarium and contingency by 2.5 times; Grant-in-Aid for equipment increased from Rs. 7 lakhs to Rs. 20 lakhs at the time of setting up of DDRC; Upto 75% of the Grant-in-Aid can be given on the recommendation of District Magistrate/Collector; Payment for rentals of leased premises; Funding of DDRC from SIPDA rather than DDRS and Number of staff has been increased from 10 to 12.
The salient features of the District Disability Rehabilitation Centres are:
- 310 districts have been identified and 263 DDRCs have been set up;
- Awareness generation, early intervention and assessment of the need of assistive devices to Divyangjans;
- Therapeutic services such as Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy and Speech Therapy etc. to Divyangjans through rehabilitation professionals; and
- Equipment for rehabilitation services and Cost norms of the Scheme has been revised and enhanced to 2.5 times w.e.f. 01/04/2018.
