NHRC to launch campaign on Rights for disabled

New Delhi, Feb 18 (UNI) NHRC today said it will launch an awareness campaign about the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and focus on education, employment, access and services for the disabled.

''The campaign will be driven from the Rights point of view...

securing the rights of the disabled,'' Commission Joint Secretary Aruna Sharma said at a roundtable on UNCRPD, organised by the National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled.

She said NHRC has declared zero tolerance for lack of education to the disabled.

''Our prime focus is education for the disabled. They should not be denied the basic right. The 11th five-year plan also envisages education for all,'' she said.

Pointing out that jobs were being offered to the disabled in the public sector, the NHRC official said the private sector must also take affirmative action and employ people with disabilities.

Ms Sharma said the about six per cent disabled population of the country, which government officials put at two per cent, should be provided identity cards to get better access to facilities.

India has ratified the UNCRPD on October 1. As many as 15 countries have ratified the Convention till now and five more ratifications are needed to bring the treaty into force.

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