A New Law which is All Inclusive..!

Kolkata
3rd December 2009

Hon’ble Dr Manmohan Singh
Prime Minister of India
The Prime Minister’s Office
South Block,Raisina Hall
New Delhi-110011

Subject: Request for a New Law in place of the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995

Sir
Campaigners for Inclusion is a Volunteer Initiative supported by CRY- Child Rights and You and Sruti Disability Rights Center in Kolkata. We are a group of citizens from different walks of life (students, professionals, academicians, activists etc) who have been working to bring changes in the education system to make it inclusive for all children particularly those with disabilities. The group advocates implementation of legal provisions that will ensure rights of children with disabilities to get equal opportunity and access to mainstream schools. .

Thus, on 3 rd December, International Day of Persons with Disability, with an aim to promote an Inclusive society for people with disability and encourage support for their dignity, rights and well-being, we would like to put forth our demand for a new law in place of several amendments in the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995.

This we believe will increase the integration of people with disability in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life. The Act, as it has been argued many times before is inadequate as well as insufficient in many ways to the total inlcusion of this section of the society and is not completely in sync with the UNCRPD either. Therefore, to utilise the precious time of the policy makers, it is suggested that we make a new law which is all encompassive and inclusive for the entire society and not spend time making futile amendments which cannot change the face of the Act totally.

We hope our request will be considered and taken seriously and we hope to see a new law being proposed in the Parliament in the near future so that every person is given absolute power in scuplting his own future without having to face the discriminatory societal or legal barriers. We would love to have response from you to know about the further developments.
Thank you.

Yours Sincerely
Campaigners For Inclusion

Sruti Disability Rights Centre
5A R.K Ghoshal Road,Kolkata.