Disability Commissions: Where Disabled Are Heard And Cared For

State is dutybound to protect the rights of its citizens and promote their welfare ensuring that on no occasion they are discriminated against for anything adverse that happens to them without their having played any role in it.

Disability is one such thing that happens to people and they are many a time considered to be unequals for reasons other than merit and ability. So long as a person can perform his work as well as anyone else, he or she should not be discriminated against simply because he suffers from some kind of impairment. In order to carry out its social responsibility towards the disabled effectively, the governments all over have established the institutions, generally called 'commissions', to look after the welfare of the disabled and ensure that they are not discriminated against in any way.

A disabled person may approach these body in case he or she needs any information or advice regarding anything that adversely affects him or his interests directly or indirectly. The body also provides all the assistance that the education providers for the disabled need.

Not just that, if a disabled has been discriminated against, he can take his grievance to these bodies and they'll take every step necessary to secure justice for the person in accordance with the  Disability Discrimination Act.

It evaluates the problems of the disabled and if the current set of rules or policies are generally viewed by the disabled as disadvantageous to them, the body takes a serious note of it and conveys the position to the government. It makes independent suggestions to the government with respect to the operation of the disability laws and whether or not any changes in it are desirable. In order to reach any such conclusion it conducts extensive researches into the ground realities that affect and afflict the disabled in real life.

From time to time, it launches campaigns aimed at spreading awareness regarding the disability and the disabled. This not only makes the people more sensitive to the needs of the disabled and what effects them but also makes the disabled feel cared and needed.

In case a disabled is wronged, his case is taken up by the body and the guilty are brought to justice. Therefore, such commissions are not just the welfare bodies like so many NGOs, but also have real teeth that can be used, if and when the need arises.