Re: [AI] Budget 2017: Where is the Money to Implement the Disabilities Act?
Given Finmin's situation this time, this was obvious outcome. Sent from my iPhone > On 03-Feb-2017, at 1:14 PM, Amiyo Biswas wrote: > > At least some railway stations are being made friendly to us. We may think of > living on railway platforms. If they have wi-fi, we may keep in touch too. > > With best regards, > Amiyo Biswas > Cell: 9433464329 > > - Original Message - From: "George Abraham" > To: "'AccessIndia: a list for discussing accessibility and issues concerning > the disabled.'" > Sent: Friday, February 03, 2017 11:53 AM > Subject: Re: [AI] Budget 2017: Where is the Money to Implement the > Disabilities Act? > > >> Well said the Philosopher! >> >> -Original Message- >> From: AccessIndia [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf >> Of Asudani, Rajesh >> Sent: 03 February 2017 10:11 >> To: AccessIndia: a list for discussing accessibility and issues concerning >> the disabled. >> Subject: Re: [AI] Budget 2017: Where is the Money to Implement the >> Disabilities Act? >> >> To the point analysis by Amba. >> >> A Right without remedy, they say, is a teasing illusion. >> >> A right without monetary backing, I say, is a torturing hallucination. >> >> >> -Original Message- >> From: AccessIndia [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf >> Of Shireen Irani >> Sent: Thursday, February 02, 2017 11:53 PM >> To: accessindia; disability-studies-india >> Subject: [AI] Budget 2017: Where is the Money to Implement the Disabilities >> Act? >> >> Despite having passed the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act in >> 2016, the Budget allocated only about 0.0039% of the GDP for the >> differently abled. >> The Budget this year has hardly set aside any money for the rights of >> persons with disability. The Budget this year has hardly set aside any >> money for the rights of persons with disability. >> Persons with disabilities and their families had many hopes resting on >> the Budget speech. After all, the prime minister himself had made it >> quite clear >> that he held this sector close to his heart – >> rechristening them divyang >> and even spending his birthday >> distributing aids and appliances >> to them. The Sugamya Bharat Abhiyaan (Accessible India Campaign), >> launched in 2015, >> was said to be another highlight of this commitment. And finally, >> with the passage >> of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill – which brought the >> ruling party and the opposition together ostensibly for the betterment >> of the sector >> – people with disabilities were led to believe that their lives would >> change for the better. >> >> Instead, all that the sector got were some references in opening lines >> of the Budget speech regarding the ‘poor and underprivileged’ sections >> of society >> – “Sabka saath sabka vikas (everyone together, everyone progressing). >> Despite the government’s efforts, they still left this significant >> population behind. >> >> The only mention this sector finds is in the reference to making of >> 500 railway stations ‘differently abled friendly by providing lifts >> and escalators’. >> The >> Accessible India Campaign, >> however, had already taken up this task. Accessibility is much beyond >> merely lifts and escalators – the latter not being helpful for most >> persons with >> disabilities. Specifically, targets were set to ensure that A1 and A >> and B category railway stations are converted into fully accessible >> railway stations >> by July 2016, and 50% of all railway stations ought to be converted >> into fully accessible ones by March 2018. >> >> In fact, the funding for this does not fall within the railway budget >> – the Rs 193 crores which >> were claimed >> to be ‘exclusively’ for the Accessible India Campaign is budgeted >> expenditure for 2016-17 under the existing >> Scheme for Implementation of the Persons with Disabilities Act >> (SIPDA), which is available for any entity obliged to make their >> infrastructure accessible under the Act. As pointed out in an >> analysis >> by the Equals Centre for Promotion of Social Justice, allocating this >> fund to the Accessible India Campaign is retrogressive as it limits >> the government >> efforts towards providing accessibility to infrastructure and services >> in a limited number of cities, particularly considering that 69.5% of >> the disabled >&g
Re: [AI] Budget 2017: Where is the Money to Implement the Disabilities Act?
At least some railway stations are being made friendly to us. We may think of living on railway platforms. If they have wi-fi, we may keep in touch too. With best regards, Amiyo Biswas Cell: 9433464329 - Original Message - From: "George Abraham" To: "'AccessIndia: a list for discussing accessibility and issues concerning the disabled.'" Sent: Friday, February 03, 2017 11:53 AM Subject: Re: [AI] Budget 2017: Where is the Money to Implement the Disabilities Act? Well said the Philosopher! -Original Message- From: AccessIndia [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf Of Asudani, Rajesh Sent: 03 February 2017 10:11 To: AccessIndia: a list for discussing accessibility and issues concerning the disabled. Subject: Re: [AI] Budget 2017: Where is the Money to Implement the Disabilities Act? To the point analysis by Amba. A Right without remedy, they say, is a teasing illusion. A right without monetary backing, I say, is a torturing hallucination. -Original Message- From: AccessIndia [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf Of Shireen Irani Sent: Thursday, February 02, 2017 11:53 PM To: accessindia; disability-studies-india Subject: [AI] Budget 2017: Where is the Money to Implement the Disabilities Act? Despite having passed the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act in 2016, the Budget allocated only about 0.0039% of the GDP for the differently abled. The Budget this year has hardly set aside any money for the rights of persons with disability. The Budget this year has hardly set aside any money for the rights of persons with disability. Persons with disabilities and their families had many hopes resting on the Budget speech. After all, the prime minister himself had made it quite clear that he held this sector close to his heart – rechristening them divyang and even spending his birthday distributing aids and appliances to them. The Sugamya Bharat Abhiyaan (Accessible India Campaign), launched in 2015, was said to be another highlight of this commitment. And finally, with the passage of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill – which brought the ruling party and the opposition together ostensibly for the betterment of the sector – people with disabilities were led to believe that their lives would change for the better. Instead, all that the sector got were some references in opening lines of the Budget speech regarding the ‘poor and underprivileged’ sections of society – “Sabka saath sabka vikas (everyone together, everyone progressing). Despite the government’s efforts, they still left this significant population behind. The only mention this sector finds is in the reference to making of 500 railway stations ‘differently abled friendly by providing lifts and escalators’. The Accessible India Campaign, however, had already taken up this task. Accessibility is much beyond merely lifts and escalators – the latter not being helpful for most persons with disabilities. Specifically, targets were set to ensure that A1 and A and B category railway stations are converted into fully accessible railway stations by July 2016, and 50% of all railway stations ought to be converted into fully accessible ones by March 2018. In fact, the funding for this does not fall within the railway budget – the Rs 193 crores which were claimed to be ‘exclusively’ for the Accessible India Campaign is budgeted expenditure for 2016-17 under the existing Scheme for Implementation of the Persons with Disabilities Act (SIPDA), which is available for any entity obliged to make their infrastructure accessible under the Act. As pointed out in an analysis by the Equals Centre for Promotion of Social Justice, allocating this fund to the Accessible India Campaign is retrogressive as it limits the government efforts towards providing accessibility to infrastructure and services in a limited number of cities, particularly considering that 69.5% of the disabled population reside in rural areas. Also, lest we forget, without rolling stock that is universally designed, persons with disabilities aren’t going to go very far. There is no mention of this, nor is there any report on the commitment of the previous year’s railway budget promise of ‘ divyang friendly toilets ‘ at railway stations. The demand for grants by the Department for the Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities has shown a 9% increase, with most of the expenditure allotted for institutions old and new; only 41% of the expenditure will actually go into demand driven schemes for the welfare of persons with disabilities, even though the new law expands the number of impairments included under such schemes from seven to 19. The Accessible India Campaign and progress therein was absent from the Budget speech and the companion documents, while the SIPDA fund gets a marginal increase of 6.7%. The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016 creates a national fund for
Re: [AI] Budget 2017: Where is the Money to Implement the Disabilities Act?
Moreover, I hoped that the disability benefit in the income tax would be further expanded. The current benefit is for extra 1.25 lakh. I hoped it to be at least 1.5 lakh. But that was not to be. Really disappointing. This was due in view of the salary hike after the impletation of the seventh pay commission recommendations. - Original Message - From: "Shireen Irani" To: "accessindia" ; "disability-studies-india" Sent: Thursday, February 02, 2017 11:53 PM Subject: [AI] Budget 2017: Where is the Money to Implement the Disabilities Act? Despite having passed the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act in 2016, the Budget allocated only about 0.0039% of the GDP for the differently abled. The Budget this year has hardly set aside any money for the rights of persons with disability. The Budget this year has hardly set aside any money for the rights of persons with disability. Persons with disabilities and their families had many hopes resting on the Budget speech. After all, the prime minister himself had made it quite clear that he held this sector close to his heart – rechristening them divyang and even spending his birthday distributing aids and appliances to them. The Sugamya Bharat Abhiyaan (Accessible India Campaign), launched in 2015, was said to be another highlight of this commitment. And finally, with the passage of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill – which brought the ruling party and the opposition together ostensibly for the betterment of the sector – people with disabilities were led to believe that their lives would change for the better. Instead, all that the sector got were some references in opening lines of the Budget speech regarding the ‘poor and underprivileged’ sections of society – “Sabka saath sabka vikas (everyone together, everyone progressing). Despite the government’s efforts, they still left this significant population behind. The only mention this sector finds is in the reference to making of 500 railway stations ‘differently abled friendly by providing lifts and escalators’. The Accessible India Campaign, however, had already taken up this task. Accessibility is much beyond merely lifts and escalators – the latter not being helpful for most persons with disabilities. Specifically, targets were set to ensure that A1 and A and B category railway stations are converted into fully accessible railway stations by July 2016, and 50% of all railway stations ought to be converted into fully accessible ones by March 2018. In fact, the funding for this does not fall within the railway budget – the Rs 193 crores which were claimed to be ‘exclusively’ for the Accessible India Campaign is budgeted expenditure for 2016-17 under the existing Scheme for Implementation of the Persons with Disabilities Act (SIPDA), which is available for any entity obliged to make their infrastructure accessible under the Act. As pointed out in an analysis by the Equals Centre for Promotion of Social Justice, allocating this fund to the Accessible India Campaign is retrogressive as it limits the government efforts towards providing accessibility to infrastructure and services in a limited number of cities, particularly considering that 69.5% of the disabled population reside in rural areas. Also, lest we forget, without rolling stock that is universally designed, persons with disabilities aren’t going to go very far. There is no mention of this, nor is there any report on the commitment of the previous year’s railway budget promise of ‘ divyang friendly toilets ‘ at railway stations. The demand for grants by the Department for the Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities has shown a 9% increase, with most of the expenditure allotted for institutions old and new; only 41% of the expenditure will actually go into demand driven schemes for the welfare of persons with disabilities, even though the new law expands the number of impairments included under such schemes from seven to 19. The Accessible India Campaign and progress therein was absent from the Budget speech and the companion documents, while the SIPDA fund gets a marginal increase of 6.7%. The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016 creates a national fund for persons with disabilities that finds no mention in the Budget. The statute does not provide for automatic absorption of the SIPDA. The first year of this new law, which seeks to implement India’s obligations under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, does not look optimistic. While the prime minister appreciated the need for personal mobility and assistive devices – enough to break Guinness World Records while promoting them – the Scheme for Assistance to Disabled Persons for Purchase/Fitting of Aids and Appliances has actually seen a decline in allocations, with a Rs 20 crore decrease from the revised estimates of the previous year. The Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India has seen no incr
Re: [AI] Budget 2017: Where is the Money to Implement the Disabilities Act?
Well said the Philosopher! -Original Message- From: AccessIndia [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf Of Asudani, Rajesh Sent: 03 February 2017 10:11 To: AccessIndia: a list for discussing accessibility and issues concerning the disabled. Subject: Re: [AI] Budget 2017: Where is the Money to Implement the Disabilities Act? To the point analysis by Amba. A Right without remedy, they say, is a teasing illusion. A right without monetary backing, I say, is a torturing hallucination. -Original Message- From: AccessIndia [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf Of Shireen Irani Sent: Thursday, February 02, 2017 11:53 PM To: accessindia; disability-studies-india Subject: [AI] Budget 2017: Where is the Money to Implement the Disabilities Act? Despite having passed the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act in 2016, the Budget allocated only about 0.0039% of the GDP for the differently abled. The Budget this year has hardly set aside any money for the rights of persons with disability. The Budget this year has hardly set aside any money for the rights of persons with disability. Persons with disabilities and their families had many hopes resting on the Budget speech. After all, the prime minister himself had made it quite clear that he held this sector close to his heart – rechristening them divyang and even spending his birthday distributing aids and appliances to them. The Sugamya Bharat Abhiyaan (Accessible India Campaign), launched in 2015, was said to be another highlight of this commitment. And finally, with the passage of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill – which brought the ruling party and the opposition together ostensibly for the betterment of the sector – people with disabilities were led to believe that their lives would change for the better. Instead, all that the sector got were some references in opening lines of the Budget speech regarding the ‘poor and underprivileged’ sections of society – “Sabka saath sabka vikas (everyone together, everyone progressing). Despite the government’s efforts, they still left this significant population behind. The only mention this sector finds is in the reference to making of 500 railway stations ‘differently abled friendly by providing lifts and escalators’. The Accessible India Campaign, however, had already taken up this task. Accessibility is much beyond merely lifts and escalators – the latter not being helpful for most persons with disabilities. Specifically, targets were set to ensure that A1 and A and B category railway stations are converted into fully accessible railway stations by July 2016, and 50% of all railway stations ought to be converted into fully accessible ones by March 2018. In fact, the funding for this does not fall within the railway budget – the Rs 193 crores which were claimed to be ‘exclusively’ for the Accessible India Campaign is budgeted expenditure for 2016-17 under the existing Scheme for Implementation of the Persons with Disabilities Act (SIPDA), which is available for any entity obliged to make their infrastructure accessible under the Act. As pointed out in an analysis by the Equals Centre for Promotion of Social Justice, allocating this fund to the Accessible India Campaign is retrogressive as it limits the government efforts towards providing accessibility to infrastructure and services in a limited number of cities, particularly considering that 69.5% of the disabled population reside in rural areas. Also, lest we forget, without rolling stock that is universally designed, persons with disabilities aren’t going to go very far. There is no mention of this, nor is there any report on the commitment of the previous year’s railway budget promise of ‘ divyang friendly toilets ‘ at railway stations. The demand for grants by the Department for the Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities has shown a 9% increase, with most of the expenditure allotted for institutions old and new; only 41% of the expenditure will actually go into demand driven schemes for the welfare of persons with disabilities, even though the new law expands the number of impairments included under such schemes from seven to 19. The Accessible India Campaign and progress therein was absent from the Budget speech and the companion documents, while the SIPDA fund gets a marginal increase of 6.7%. The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016 creates a national fund for persons with disabilities that finds no mention in the Budget. The statute does not provide for automatic absorption of the SIPDA. The first year of this new law, which seeks to implement India’s obligations under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, does not look optimistic. While the prime minister appreciated the need for personal mobility and assistive devices – enough to break Guinness World Records while promoting them – the Scheme for Assistance to Disabled Persons for Purchase
Re: [AI] Budget 2017: Where is the Money to Implement the Disabilities Act?
Need is to think universal rather than thinking access separately. -Original Message- From: AccessIndia [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf Of Asudani, Rajesh Sent: 03 February 2017 10:14 To: AccessIndia: a list for discussing accessibility and issues concerning the disabled. Subject: Re: [AI] Budget 2017: Where is the Money to Implement the Disabilities Act? If we take an instance of making 500 railway stations accessible by lifts and escalators, I would say, just make slopes/ramps at all stations, they will be accessible not only to PWD but to all who are struggling with their wheeled baggage at present. Let us simplify. -Original Message- From: AccessIndia [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf Of Shireen Irani Sent: Thursday, February 02, 2017 11:53 PM To: accessindia; disability-studies-india Subject: [AI] Budget 2017: Where is the Money to Implement the Disabilities Act? Despite having passed the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act in 2016, the Budget allocated only about 0.0039% of the GDP for the differently abled. The Budget this year has hardly set aside any money for the rights of persons with disability. The Budget this year has hardly set aside any money for the rights of persons with disability. Persons with disabilities and their families had many hopes resting on the Budget speech. After all, the prime minister himself had made it quite clear that he held this sector close to his heart – rechristening them divyang and even spending his birthday distributing aids and appliances to them. The Sugamya Bharat Abhiyaan (Accessible India Campaign), launched in 2015, was said to be another highlight of this commitment. And finally, with the passage of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill – which brought the ruling party and the opposition together ostensibly for the betterment of the sector – people with disabilities were led to believe that their lives would change for the better. Instead, all that the sector got were some references in opening lines of the Budget speech regarding the ‘poor and underprivileged’ sections of society – “Sabka saath sabka vikas (everyone together, everyone progressing). Despite the government’s efforts, they still left this significant population behind. The only mention this sector finds is in the reference to making of 500 railway stations ‘differently abled friendly by providing lifts and escalators’. The Accessible India Campaign, however, had already taken up this task. Accessibility is much beyond merely lifts and escalators – the latter not being helpful for most persons with disabilities. Specifically, targets were set to ensure that A1 and A and B category railway stations are converted into fully accessible railway stations by July 2016, and 50% of all railway stations ought to be converted into fully accessible ones by March 2018. In fact, the funding for this does not fall within the railway budget – the Rs 193 crores which were claimed to be ‘exclusively’ for the Accessible India Campaign is budgeted expenditure for 2016-17 under the existing Scheme for Implementation of the Persons with Disabilities Act (SIPDA), which is available for any entity obliged to make their infrastructure accessible under the Act. As pointed out in an analysis by the Equals Centre for Promotion of Social Justice, allocating this fund to the Accessible India Campaign is retrogressive as it limits the government efforts towards providing accessibility to infrastructure and services in a limited number of cities, particularly considering that 69.5% of the disabled population reside in rural areas. Also, lest we forget, without rolling stock that is universally designed, persons with disabilities aren’t going to go very far. There is no mention of this, nor is there any report on the commitment of the previous year’s railway budget promise of ‘ divyang friendly toilets ‘ at railway stations. The demand for grants by the Department for the Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities has shown a 9% increase, with most of the expenditure allotted for institutions old and new; only 41% of the expenditure will actually go into demand driven schemes for the welfare of persons with disabilities, even though the new law expands the number of impairments included under such schemes from seven to 19. The Accessible India Campaign and progress therein was absent from the Budget speech and the companion documents, while the SIPDA fund gets a marginal increase of 6.7%. The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016 creates a national fund for persons with disabilities that finds no mention in the Budget. The statute does not provide for automatic absorption of the SIPDA. The first year of this new law, which seeks to implement India’s obligations under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, does not look optimistic. While the prime minister appreciated the need for personal mobility
Re: [AI] Budget 2017: Where is the Money to Implement the Disabilities Act?
While I agree that the budget allocation seems really low, there is a flaw in the argument. In first statement the writer says that allocation is .0039 percent of GDP, and in the second statement the writer says it is only .0039 percent of the budget. Note: these are not same. budget is around 1/6th of the GDP. Considering estimated GDP for next year would be around 121 lakh crore, and assuming budget for disabilities is .0039 percent of the GDP, the allocation should be around 471 crores. So percentages don't help, we need to know the exact amount. I suspect many of these expenses would be allocated to various departments for accessibility implementation. -Original Message- From: AccessIndia [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf Of Asudani, Rajesh Sent: Friday, February 03, 2017 10:11 AM To: AccessIndia: a list for discussing accessibility and issues concerning the disabled. Subject: Re: [AI] Budget 2017: Where is the Money to Implement the Disabilities Act? To the point analysis by Amba. A Right without remedy, they say, is a teasing illusion. A right without monetary backing, I say, is a torturing hallucination. -Original Message- From: AccessIndia [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf Of Shireen Irani Sent: Thursday, February 02, 2017 11:53 PM To: accessindia; disability-studies-india Subject: [AI] Budget 2017: Where is the Money to Implement the Disabilities Act? Despite having passed the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act in 2016, the Budget allocated only about 0.0039% of the GDP for the differently abled. The Budget this year has hardly set aside any money for the rights of persons with disability. The Budget this year has hardly set aside any money for the rights of persons with disability. Persons with disabilities and their families had many hopes resting on the Budget speech. After all, the prime minister himself had made it quite clear that he held this sector close to his heart – rechristening them divyang and even spending his birthday distributing aids and appliances to them. The Sugamya Bharat Abhiyaan (Accessible India Campaign), launched in 2015, was said to be another highlight of this commitment. And finally, with the passage of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill – which brought the ruling party and the opposition together ostensibly for the betterment of the sector – people with disabilities were led to believe that their lives would change for the better. Instead, all that the sector got were some references in opening lines of the Budget speech regarding the ‘poor and underprivileged’ sections of society – “Sabka saath sabka vikas (everyone together, everyone progressing). Despite the government’s efforts, they still left this significant population behind. The only mention this sector finds is in the reference to making of 500 railway stations ‘differently abled friendly by providing lifts and escalators’. The Accessible India Campaign, however, had already taken up this task. Accessibility is much beyond merely lifts and escalators – the latter not being helpful for most persons with disabilities. Specifically, targets were set to ensure that A1 and A and B category railway stations are converted into fully accessible railway stations by July 2016, and 50% of all railway stations ought to be converted into fully accessible ones by March 2018. In fact, the funding for this does not fall within the railway budget – the Rs 193 crores which were claimed to be ‘exclusively’ for the Accessible India Campaign is budgeted expenditure for 2016-17 under the existing Scheme for Implementation of the Persons with Disabilities Act (SIPDA), which is available for any entity obliged to make their infrastructure accessible under the Act. As pointed out in an analysis by the Equals Centre for Promotion of Social Justice, allocating this fund to the Accessible India Campaign is retrogressive as it limits the government efforts towards providing accessibility to infrastructure and services in a limited number of cities, particularly considering that 69.5% of the disabled population reside in rural areas. Also, lest we forget, without rolling stock that is universally designed, persons with disabilities aren’t going to go very far. There is no mention of this, nor is there any report on the commitment of the previous year’s railway budget promise of ‘ divyang friendly toilets ‘ at railway stations. The demand for grants by the Department for the Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities has shown a 9% increase, with most of the expenditure allotted for institutions old and new; only 41% of the expenditure will actually go into demand driven schemes for the welfare of persons with disabilities, even though the new law expands the number of impairments included under such schemes from seven to 19. The Accessible India Campaign and progress therein was absent from the Budget speech and the comp
Re: [AI] Budget 2017: Where is the Money to Implement the Disabilities Act?
If we take an instance of making 500 railway stations accessible by lifts and escalators, I would say, just make slopes/ramps at all stations, they will be accessible not only to PWD but to all who are struggling with their wheeled baggage at present. Let us simplify. -Original Message- From: AccessIndia [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf Of Shireen Irani Sent: Thursday, February 02, 2017 11:53 PM To: accessindia; disability-studies-india Subject: [AI] Budget 2017: Where is the Money to Implement the Disabilities Act? Despite having passed the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act in 2016, the Budget allocated only about 0.0039% of the GDP for the differently abled. The Budget this year has hardly set aside any money for the rights of persons with disability. The Budget this year has hardly set aside any money for the rights of persons with disability. Persons with disabilities and their families had many hopes resting on the Budget speech. After all, the prime minister himself had made it quite clear that he held this sector close to his heart – rechristening them divyang and even spending his birthday distributing aids and appliances to them. The Sugamya Bharat Abhiyaan (Accessible India Campaign), launched in 2015, was said to be another highlight of this commitment. And finally, with the passage of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill – which brought the ruling party and the opposition together ostensibly for the betterment of the sector – people with disabilities were led to believe that their lives would change for the better. Instead, all that the sector got were some references in opening lines of the Budget speech regarding the ‘poor and underprivileged’ sections of society – “Sabka saath sabka vikas (everyone together, everyone progressing). Despite the government’s efforts, they still left this significant population behind. The only mention this sector finds is in the reference to making of 500 railway stations ‘differently abled friendly by providing lifts and escalators’. The Accessible India Campaign, however, had already taken up this task. Accessibility is much beyond merely lifts and escalators – the latter not being helpful for most persons with disabilities. Specifically, targets were set to ensure that A1 and A and B category railway stations are converted into fully accessible railway stations by July 2016, and 50% of all railway stations ought to be converted into fully accessible ones by March 2018. In fact, the funding for this does not fall within the railway budget – the Rs 193 crores which were claimed to be ‘exclusively’ for the Accessible India Campaign is budgeted expenditure for 2016-17 under the existing Scheme for Implementation of the Persons with Disabilities Act (SIPDA), which is available for any entity obliged to make their infrastructure accessible under the Act. As pointed out in an analysis by the Equals Centre for Promotion of Social Justice, allocating this fund to the Accessible India Campaign is retrogressive as it limits the government efforts towards providing accessibility to infrastructure and services in a limited number of cities, particularly considering that 69.5% of the disabled population reside in rural areas. Also, lest we forget, without rolling stock that is universally designed, persons with disabilities aren’t going to go very far. There is no mention of this, nor is there any report on the commitment of the previous year’s railway budget promise of ‘ divyang friendly toilets ‘ at railway stations. The demand for grants by the Department for the Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities has shown a 9% increase, with most of the expenditure allotted for institutions old and new; only 41% of the expenditure will actually go into demand driven schemes for the welfare of persons with disabilities, even though the new law expands the number of impairments included under such schemes from seven to 19. The Accessible India Campaign and progress therein was absent from the Budget speech and the companion documents, while the SIPDA fund gets a marginal increase of 6.7%. The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016 creates a national fund for persons with disabilities that finds no mention in the Budget. The statute does not provide for automatic absorption of the SIPDA. The first year of this new law, which seeks to implement India’s obligations under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, does not look optimistic. While the prime minister appreciated the need for personal mobility and assistive devices – enough to break Guinness World Records while promoting them – the Scheme for Assistance to Disabled Persons for Purchase/Fitting of Aids and Appliances has actually seen a decline in allocations, with a Rs 20 crore decrease from the revised estimates of the previous year. The Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India has seen no increase in its allocation of
Re: [AI] Budget 2017: Where is the Money to Implement the Disabilities Act?
To the point analysis by Amba. A Right without remedy, they say, is a teasing illusion. A right without monetary backing, I say, is a torturing hallucination. -Original Message- From: AccessIndia [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On Behalf Of Shireen Irani Sent: Thursday, February 02, 2017 11:53 PM To: accessindia; disability-studies-india Subject: [AI] Budget 2017: Where is the Money to Implement the Disabilities Act? Despite having passed the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act in 2016, the Budget allocated only about 0.0039% of the GDP for the differently abled. The Budget this year has hardly set aside any money for the rights of persons with disability. The Budget this year has hardly set aside any money for the rights of persons with disability. Persons with disabilities and their families had many hopes resting on the Budget speech. After all, the prime minister himself had made it quite clear that he held this sector close to his heart – rechristening them divyang and even spending his birthday distributing aids and appliances to them. The Sugamya Bharat Abhiyaan (Accessible India Campaign), launched in 2015, was said to be another highlight of this commitment. And finally, with the passage of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill – which brought the ruling party and the opposition together ostensibly for the betterment of the sector – people with disabilities were led to believe that their lives would change for the better. Instead, all that the sector got were some references in opening lines of the Budget speech regarding the ‘poor and underprivileged’ sections of society – “Sabka saath sabka vikas (everyone together, everyone progressing). Despite the government’s efforts, they still left this significant population behind. The only mention this sector finds is in the reference to making of 500 railway stations ‘differently abled friendly by providing lifts and escalators’. The Accessible India Campaign, however, had already taken up this task. Accessibility is much beyond merely lifts and escalators – the latter not being helpful for most persons with disabilities. Specifically, targets were set to ensure that A1 and A and B category railway stations are converted into fully accessible railway stations by July 2016, and 50% of all railway stations ought to be converted into fully accessible ones by March 2018. In fact, the funding for this does not fall within the railway budget – the Rs 193 crores which were claimed to be ‘exclusively’ for the Accessible India Campaign is budgeted expenditure for 2016-17 under the existing Scheme for Implementation of the Persons with Disabilities Act (SIPDA), which is available for any entity obliged to make their infrastructure accessible under the Act. As pointed out in an analysis by the Equals Centre for Promotion of Social Justice, allocating this fund to the Accessible India Campaign is retrogressive as it limits the government efforts towards providing accessibility to infrastructure and services in a limited number of cities, particularly considering that 69.5% of the disabled population reside in rural areas. Also, lest we forget, without rolling stock that is universally designed, persons with disabilities aren’t going to go very far. There is no mention of this, nor is there any report on the commitment of the previous year’s railway budget promise of ‘ divyang friendly toilets ‘ at railway stations. The demand for grants by the Department for the Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities has shown a 9% increase, with most of the expenditure allotted for institutions old and new; only 41% of the expenditure will actually go into demand driven schemes for the welfare of persons with disabilities, even though the new law expands the number of impairments included under such schemes from seven to 19. The Accessible India Campaign and progress therein was absent from the Budget speech and the companion documents, while the SIPDA fund gets a marginal increase of 6.7%. The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016 creates a national fund for persons with disabilities that finds no mention in the Budget. The statute does not provide for automatic absorption of the SIPDA. The first year of this new law, which seeks to implement India’s obligations under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, does not look optimistic. While the prime minister appreciated the need for personal mobility and assistive devices – enough to break Guinness World Records while promoting them – the Scheme for Assistance to Disabled Persons for Purchase/Fitting of Aids and Appliances has actually seen a decline in allocations, with a Rs 20 crore decrease from the revised estimates of the previous year. The Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India has seen no increase in its allocation of Rs 5 crores over the last three financial years despite research and development around prosthetics progressing
[AI] Budget 2017: Where is the Money to Implement the Disabilities Act?
Despite having passed the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act in 2016, the Budget allocated only about 0.0039% of the GDP for the differently abled. The Budget this year has hardly set aside any money for the rights of persons with disability. The Budget this year has hardly set aside any money for the rights of persons with disability. Persons with disabilities and their families had many hopes resting on the Budget speech. After all, the prime minister himself had made it quite clear that he held this sector close to his heart – rechristening them divyang and even spending his birthday distributing aids and appliances to them. The Sugamya Bharat Abhiyaan (Accessible India Campaign), launched in 2015, was said to be another highlight of this commitment. And finally, with the passage of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill – which brought the ruling party and the opposition together ostensibly for the betterment of the sector – people with disabilities were led to believe that their lives would change for the better. Instead, all that the sector got were some references in opening lines of the Budget speech regarding the ‘poor and underprivileged’ sections of society – “Sabka saath sabka vikas (everyone together, everyone progressing). Despite the government’s efforts, they still left this significant population behind. The only mention this sector finds is in the reference to making of 500 railway stations ‘differently abled friendly by providing lifts and escalators’. The Accessible India Campaign, however, had already taken up this task. Accessibility is much beyond merely lifts and escalators – the latter not being helpful for most persons with disabilities. Specifically, targets were set to ensure that A1 and A and B category railway stations are converted into fully accessible railway stations by July 2016, and 50% of all railway stations ought to be converted into fully accessible ones by March 2018. In fact, the funding for this does not fall within the railway budget – the Rs 193 crores which were claimed to be ‘exclusively’ for the Accessible India Campaign is budgeted expenditure for 2016-17 under the existing Scheme for Implementation of the Persons with Disabilities Act (SIPDA), which is available for any entity obliged to make their infrastructure accessible under the Act. As pointed out in an analysis by the Equals Centre for Promotion of Social Justice, allocating this fund to the Accessible India Campaign is retrogressive as it limits the government efforts towards providing accessibility to infrastructure and services in a limited number of cities, particularly considering that 69.5% of the disabled population reside in rural areas. Also, lest we forget, without rolling stock that is universally designed, persons with disabilities aren’t going to go very far. There is no mention of this, nor is there any report on the commitment of the previous year’s railway budget promise of ‘ divyang friendly toilets ‘ at railway stations. The demand for grants by the Department for the Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities has shown a 9% increase, with most of the expenditure allotted for institutions old and new; only 41% of the expenditure will actually go into demand driven schemes for the welfare of persons with disabilities, even though the new law expands the number of impairments included under such schemes from seven to 19. The Accessible India Campaign and progress therein was absent from the Budget speech and the companion documents, while the SIPDA fund gets a marginal increase of 6.7%. The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016 creates a national fund for persons with disabilities that finds no mention in the Budget. The statute does not provide for automatic absorption of the SIPDA. The first year of this new law, which seeks to implement India’s obligations under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, does not look optimistic. While the prime minister appreciated the need for personal mobility and assistive devices – enough to break Guinness World Records while promoting them – the Scheme for Assistance to Disabled Persons for Purchase/Fitting of Aids and Appliances has actually seen a decline in allocations, with a Rs 20 crore decrease from the revised estimates of the previous year. The Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India has seen no increase in its allocation of Rs 5 crores over the last three financial years despite research and development around prosthetics progressing by the day. The government has failed to link Budget expenditure to meaningful implementation of the Bill that it enacted in all earnestness, let alone international obligations. Although the estimates on the number of persons with disabilities in India differ – the WHO estimates 15% of the population to be disabled while the Indian census puts the figure at 2.1% of the population – a 0.0039% of specific allocation of the Budget is nothing but
