Forum to work on needs and rights of disabled

Kolkata: Indian Disabled Entrepreneurs Forum (IDEF) was launched to cater the needs of specially-abled persons on Wednesday.

"IDEF is a motivated attempt to create an interactive community for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) and other persons interested in working with PWDs. This forum will be a platform dedicated to create a community where members can discuss Inclusive Employment and Entrepreneurial opportunities and ventures," said Sumit Agarwal of IDEF.

He reiterated that the specially-abled are deprived of their rights despite the implementation of Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.

"RPDA 2016 says that no person with disability shall be discriminated on the ground of disability, unless it is shown that the impugned act or omission is a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim," said Sumit.

It might be mentioned that the Mamata Banerjee government has begun the process of setting up of medical boards in all state-run hospitals right from sub-divisional to tertiary level for identifying the level of disability of applicants, and accordingly issue them certificates of disability.

Under the new Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act (RPWD), 2016, that came into force in 2016, 21 disabilities have been classified, and any individual seeking a certificate of disability needs to be identified as having at least one of them before they get the certificate.

Before the act was amended there were only seven such disabilities mentioned in the RPWD Act. People suffering from diseases like Haemophilia and Thalassaemia have been brought under the purview of the amended Act.