Recommendations of the Conference

The National Conference on Disability had put forward the following Recommendations, which will be forwarded to the concerned authorities for appropriate action. The Recommendations include areas where the Government at the Centre and State should act and issues on which Bar Council, Law School and leading Universities in the country can consider:
· Government of India should set up an independent Department of Disability and Development.
· Appoint disability advisors in all premier institutions.
· Set up a National Task Force on accessible infrastructure to ensure all public places, transport system, media and public information are redefined and delivered so as to adhere to disability inclusive norms.
· Elaboration of a National/State Disability Policy and Action Plan to enable persons with disabilities to enjoy all the rights and benefits guaranteed under the law.
· Enable the government at all levels to perform its mandatory functions and effectively utilize the budget allocated for the disability sector.
· Designate a nodal officer on disability assisted by a panel of experts from the disability sector.

· Put in place a formal mechanism for examining and ensuring a disability inclusive legislative framework in new laws.

· Promote a dynamic and context specific policy on human rights education.

· Introduce a disability component in all training initiatives for public administrators and field functionaries

· Nominate at least one person with disability in the Parliament.

· Government of India through its National Institutions in various fields should develop and incorporate the concept of human rights, social justice and well being in all the training programmes aimed at rehabilitation workers, parent and persons with disabilities.

On the education and legal front it has called on the Bar Council, the Law Schools and the leading Universities -

· to urgently coordinate action towards incorporating disability perspective in all the formal and non-formal courses in law and human rights.

· introduce an optional paper in Disability, Human Rights and Law at the graduate level

· the Indira Gandhi National Open University and its counter parts in the States should gear up the distance education to enable the practitioners in various fields to respond adequately to the difference that disability represents.

· the UGC, RCI, NETE and NCERT should actively assist the institutions under their jurisdiction to reform the course curriculum with a view to incorporating a disability component.

(Full text of the Recommendations can be viewed on our website www.nhrc.nic.in)