PANAJI
Caritas Goa in collaboration with Sense International India, Kamal Udwadia Foundation and Kamal India Foundation organised the Goa State Stakeholder’s Advocacy meeting at the Instituto Senhora Nossa de Piedade Hall, Panaji.
The advocacy meeting aimed to converge initiatives of relevant state government departments, skill development agencies and civil society organisations for inclusion of persons with Deafblindness in the state of Goa in all sectors of society.
Shrutilata Singh, Officer-Advocacy, Sense International India, a person with Deafblindness stated at the meeting that many people with Deafblindness need to be included in all spheres of life right from inclusion in education, sports and even employment.
“The government should mandatorily consider accessibility of buildings in public areas even for persons with deafblindness as now it is recognised as a disability in the RPwD Act, 2016”.
Dr Vibha Parsekar, Nodal Officer at the District Early Intervention Centre, North Goa shared about the numerous services provided at the DEICs and about the process involved for multiple disability certification.
Dr Gargi P Sinha, Principal at the Dyanvardini Divyang Training College, Vasco, spoke about how the Deafblind programme of Caritas Goa helped their college students to understand issues and challenges concerning inclusion in education of persons with deafblindness in schools.
Guruprasad Pawaskar, Commissioner for Persons with Disability of the State of Goa, highlighted the improvement in the mindset of people towards disability.
Referring to the Purple Fest and mentioning about the advocacy meeting, he said, such type of programmes help the government officials and civil society to be sensitised about the different aspects of inclusion and rehabilitation.
Gabel Mascarenhas, Coordinator of the Deafblind, North Goa, appreciated the North and South District Early Intervention Centres for their initiatives.
He said, “Goa is among the few states to have begun issuing certification for multiple disabilities so that proper record and intervention is offered to children with disabilities, including deafblindness”.
Earlier in his welcome address, Caritas Goa Director Fr Maverick Fernandes called for empathy not sympathy for successful inclusion of persons with disability so that they can live with dignity in the society.
“Goa has the potential to be a model state in accessibility and inclusion for persons with deafblindness,” Fr Fernandes asserted.
Besides children and young adults with deafblindness and their parents, officials from the Directorate of Education, Directorate of Transport, Goa Human Rights Commission, Labour Commissionerate, Goa Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, doctors from Goa Medical College (GMC), District Early Intervention Centres, Paediatric Neuro Rehabilitation Centres and members of Disability based organisations actively participated in a common platform to find solution for the inclusion and rehabilitation needs of persons with Deafblindness.
