IMPHAL, August 30: The All Tribal Disabled Students` Union (ATDSU) has in a release announced 72 hours bandh w.e.f midnight of September 8 to till midnight of September 11 in all hill districts of state.
ATDSU had submitted a memorandum to the Social Welfare Minister, Manipur on June 19, 2013 to set up a Special School with hostel facilities for the tribal differently abled students/children in one of the tribal district of state and decentralization of the authority for issue of disability certificates, the release further said.
ATDSU also sought an appointment to the Social Welfare Minister on July 19, 2013 for direct discussion with the Minister regarding the said demands, but no positive response has been given till date in this regard, it said.
“There is only one school specially for blind, deaf and mute students/persons in the state at Takyelpat but other disabled persons such as locomotors disability (LD), Mentally retarded (MR) and others have no place in that school,” it said.
In view of this, special attention is drawn to establish/set up a special school where any nature of disabled persons can attend in it, it said.
“Generally, the disabled persons have been discriminated by the general public in every field. The infrastructures provided in the normal schools are not suitable for the disabled students,” it said.
As per section 26 of the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act of 1995, there should be a special school for disabled students/children with a provision of free education till a person attains the age of 18 years, it said.
