NCPEDP organises state-level seminar on SDGs and Persons with Disabilities

National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP) and the Association of People with Disability (APD) and its Disability Law Unit (DLU) South – both not-for-profit organisations working with and for people with disabilities and issues related to them, organised a state-level two-day seminar on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030 in the context of inclusion of persons with disabilities on March 4th -5th at the Indian Social Institute, Bangalore. The Seminar was supported by Mphasis.

The main objective of the seminar was to mainstream SDGs 2030 in the disability sector and to influence the State Government to focus more on persons with disabilities in budgetary allocations and to formulate new programs and schemes. The event saw a congregation of disability sector leaders, people with disabilities, NGOs and members of SDG committees and Rights of Persons with Disabilites Taskforce leaders from across the state.

In September 2015 the UN general assembly adopted 2030 agenda for sustainable development. The agenda includes 17 SDGs, which set out quantitative objectives across the social, economic, and environmental dimensions of sustainable development all including persons with disabilities to be achieved by 2030.

Disability is referenced in various parts of the SDGs and specifically in parts related to education, growth and employment, in equality, accessibility of human settlements as well as data collection and monitoring of the SDGs, however being the largest vulnerable group, persons with disabilities do not have specific references in any of the SDGs.

“Even though the State Government is pro-persons with disabilities, the SDG 2030 report is not comprehensive on disability indicators. The Karnataka State Government has formed goal committees but no persons with disabilities or disability sector experts are included in any goal committees. There is no inclusion, and we are left behind,” said S Babu Khan, Regional coordinator, DLU South and Assistant Director, APD.

Dr. Muniraju – Director of Department for the Empowerment of Differently Abled and Senior Citizens said, “In Karnataka all other departments are having live data of the people or beneficiaries, but we don’t have live data on persons with disabilities. In the context of disability, we are following 2011 census data. It is not only the responsibility of the Government but also that of the civil society organisations, DPOs and persons with disabilities to give data to the department to ensure that the programmes reach the needy beneficiaries.”

Ankit Rajiv Jindal, Founder, Friends for Inclusion said, “There is no disaggregated data on disabilities in India. If we ask the NITI Aayog about the data on persons with disabilities who are under poverty line according to SDG target 1, they say that there is no information. Once we know the total number of persons with disabilities in India, it is possible to implement appropriate programs to empower the disabled community.”

He recommended that the Indian government must register the birth and death of people with disabilities. On day two of the seminar, the discussions revolved around the issues of children with disabilities, women with disabilities, the livelihood of youth with disabilities and 5% resource allocations in the context of SDG goals.

Lakshi Rathor RPD taskforce leader from Vijayapur district said, “The SDGs talk about addressing gender equality, but what about women with disabilities? We are undernourished and neglected by society as well as by the system. Among the disabled, we are the most marginalized.”

Manjunath Hoskera State President RPD taskforce said, “Without political participation, it is not possible to reduce inequality. We need to have political reservations from Panchayath to Parliament to reduce inequality.” Nagappa Anwati, leader from Kalburgi added, “There is zero rejection policy for school admissions, but we have witnessed many children with disabilities facing rejection. What is there for us in SDG goal of quality education.”

Raghu Hubli Leader from Bagalkot said, “It is the responsibility of the government to spend 5% resources and regularly monitor the spending at the district level to commit on SDG goals otherwise goals will remain as never reached goals.”

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