International Day of People with Disability

 

International Day of People with Disability – 3^rd December, 2021 – An Appeal to support the cause.

Images - Courtesy United Nations and ADHAR

International days, proclaimed by the United Nations, are primarily aimed with an express objective of educating the public on social issues that are of great concern to the world we live in. They are also aimed at mobilizing the much needed social and political will and so also the financial power and other resources to address these global problems. The UN has spearheaded and embraced the commemoration of these days, which serve the purpose as a powerful advocacy tool.

Today, 3rd December, is commemorated as an International Day of People with Disability and the theme chosen for this year is "Leadership and participation towards an inclusive, accessible and sustainable post COVID-19 world". Today is the day when all of us must spare a thought or two for the people who live with one or other forms of disabilities. As per the WHO estimate, more than one billion people in the world live with some form of disability of whom nearly 200 million people have considerable difficulties in normal functioning. In the years ahead, disability will be an even greater concern because its prevalence is on the rise. It is because of the continuous increase in the ageing populations and associated higher risk of disability in older people as well as the global increase in chronic health conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer and mental health disorders, which are of major global concern.

Notwithstanding the commemoration of the International Disability Day and so also the seriousness and magnitude of the disability issue, most unfortunately it was observed that the awareness on disabilities and scientific information on different types of the disabilities were found to be lacking. There was also no general consensus and agreement on definitions and statistics of internationally comparable data on the incidence, distribution and trends of disability. There were also not adequate documents providing a compilation and analysis of the ways countries have developed policies and responses to address the needs of people with disabilities. In order to address some of these issues and so also in consideration of the World Health Assembly (resolution 58.23 on “Disability, including prevention, management and rehabilitation”) requested the World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General to produce a World report on disability based on the best available scientific evidence. Accordingly, a World Report on Disability was brought out which suggests “steps for all stakeholders – including governments, civil society organizations and disabled people’s organizations – to create enabling environments, develop rehabilitation and support services, ensure adequate social protection, create inclusive policies and programme, and enforce new and existing standards and legislation, to the benefit of people with disabilities and the wider community”.

The promotion and commemoration of the International Day of People with Disability began with the patronage of the United Nations, since 1992. It was during the 37^th plenary meeting of the UN held in Canada that the commemoration of the International Disability Day was proclaimed. It was noted in the meeting that the “United Nations decade of disabled persons had been a period of awareness raising and of action oriented measures aimed at the continued improvement in the situation of persons with disabilities and the equalization of opportunities for them. The UN with an awareness of the needs for more vigorous and broader action at all levels to fulfil the objectives of the Decade and the World Programme of Action concerning disabled persons, and realizing the importance of carrying out concrete long-term strategies for full implementation of the World Programme of Action beyond the Decade and with the aim of achieving a society for all by the year 2010, the UN welcomed the International Conference of Ministers Responsible for the Status of Persons with Disabilities to the 37^th plenary meeting of the UN, which was hosted by the Government of Canada at Montréal, Canada on 8 and 9 October 1992. Noting with appreciation the high-level participation in its plenary meetings held on 12 and 13 October 1992, marking the conclusion of the Decade, the plenary session invited all Member States and organisations concerned to intensify their efforts that aimed at sustained effective action with a view to improving the situation of persons with disabilities and proclaimed, 3 December as the international Day of disabled persons and urged Governments, as well as national, regional and international organisations, to extend their full cooperation in observing the international Day of Disabled.

The genesis for the Disability Day started nearly five decades ago in 1976 when the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 1981 as the International Year of Disabled Persons. It was during this period that a plan of action was decided at the national, regional and International levels. The period between 1976 to the 1981 – a period of five years between the making of that decision and declaring the actual Year of Disabled Persons - were spent contemplating the hardships of the disabled, how the opportunities of the disabled could be equalized, and how to ensure the disabled take part fully in community life, enjoying all of the rights and benefits non-disabled citizens have. Some of the others issues which were addressed during this period was how world governments could go about preventing disabilities from touching people in the first place and going beyond the much of the talk cantering around the viruses and other illnesses that lead to various kinds of disabilities. The decade between 1983 and 1992 was later proclaimed the United Nations Decade of Disabled Persons, and during that time, all of the concepts previously created became parts of one long process that was implemented in order to improve the lives of disabled persons the world over.

Among all the disabilities Mental health is one of the most problematic issue in our country, the gross lack of awareness and stigma associated with the mental health, particularly those who are mentally challenged, make it an even more frightening scenario. The prognosis for mentally challenged is so very poor that most such afflicted adults end up getting locked or confined to homes and asylums and many may even end up committing suicide. Considering the extreme challenges which confront this issue and its management, there are limited opportunities and organisation who take up the rehabilitation and empowerment of such mentally challenged adults. ADHAR and Om Creations, the two organisation with which my wife and I are associated with, are working in this area for empowering people with mental disabilities.

The aim of the International Disability Day is to encourage a better understanding of people affected by disability. This day also helps in reemphasising and helping to make people more aware of the rights, dignity and welfare of disabled people and so also in creating an increased awareness about the benefits of integrating disabled persons into every aspect of life, from economic, to political, to social and cultural. Disability Day encompasses all known disabilities including mental disabilities that include Autism to Down Syndrome to Mental retardation etc.

Disability has impacted our family as well. In our own humble way, my wife and I have been closely associated with the two organisations - ADHAR (Association of Parents of Mentally Retarded Children) and Om Creations - and we assist them in furthering their noble cause of working towards empowering people with mental disabilities. I would therefore like to dedicate this post to these two institutions while specifically making an appeal to support ADHAR, an organisation which has tasked itself an onerous responsibility of rendering a yeomen service of providing life time shelter with empathetic and compassionate care for some 300 plus mentally challenged adults in the two residential care centres, which they are running at Nashik and Badlapur.

Some 200 plus dedicated staff who are in service of the residents at the two ADHAR residential centres, 24x7, 365 days a year, strive hard to empower the inmates and so also provide an ambience of socio cultural inclusion for the 300 plus differently abled, which they persevere to achieve all days with care and compassion and thus help in providing the much needed respite to the parents of these mentally challenged adults from that deadly and diabolical thought - what after us? which not only haunts the parents of such children but also drain them  physically, financially  and mentally.

On this occasion, I would like to use this opportunity to appeal to one and all, my friends, colleagues, and family and all others to consider donating benevolently to the institution which are working in the area of disability. Since I am very closely associated with ADHAR – recently I have also been inducted as a Trustee -  ( www.adhar.org), which works 24x7x365 days a year, in providing life time shelters to the severely mentally challenged adults. Mental health is a major concern worldwide and India is no different. Dr. Brock Chisholm, the first Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), in 1954, had presciently declared that “without mental health there can be no true physical health”. Nearly seven decades later, the scenario has not altered substantially. The situation is more serious for the severely mentally challenged, and their family and care givers, who may mandatorily be needing residential shelters for life.

Unfortunately, there are very few institutions who work in the most neglected area of providing care and life time shelter for mentally challenged who need life time support and have very poor or no prognosis for improvement. Adhar, is perhaps a lone shining star, that has been providing life time shelter to the severely mentally challenged for more than three decades. Adhar - an organisation of the association of parents of the mentally retarded adults - was founded by the visionary founder Chairman of Adhar, Mr. Madhav Gangadhar Gore, with support from few hapless parents, in the year 1993. Ever since Adhar has toiled hard, and continues to do so, often times struggling to meet both ends, to provide respite to the 300 plus severely mentally challenged adults and to their care givers. The compassion, empathy and commitment that Late Madhav Gore ji had for Adhar, which he established, has  rubbed on to his son, Shri Vishwas Gore ji, who sacrificed his own professional career for the cause for which his reverential father Shri Madhav Gore ji strived all his life, to take on the Chairmanship of Adhar  and take this NGO to a greater height and winning several awards including the best parents NGO award from the Government of India.   

Adhar, passing through period of trials and tribulations has been able to bring smiles on 300 plus parents and custodians of the mentally challenged adults for whom Adhar is now a life time home away from home, where they can live a life of respect and dignity in an ambience which is made lively with the passionate commitment of the workers who take care of the inmates. Adhar in a way has also empowered the inmates by training them to engage in vocational activities and such other engaging activities. Managing the two residential places in Badlapur and Nashik is a continuous challenge, struggle and often times mere hysterical, yet the institution has moved on undeterred even during the extreme challenging times of the Covid 19 pandemic. Under its current dynamic leader, Mr. Vishwas Gore the Chairman of Adhar and the son of the founder. Adhar has dared to dream big and has befittingly developed yet another facility for providing life time shelter and care for the aged parents of such mentally challenged adults. This new facility which was opened in November 2021 provides an excellent amenity for the senior citizens and parents of the mentally challenged adults to spend their twilight years under the care and shelter of Adhar care givers at their new facility in Nashik.

Covid 19 pandemic has brought unending challenges, which Adhar faces particularly with its finances, specially the mandatorily required recurring expenses that come with managing the 300 plus residents 24x7x365 days a year. The parents of the inmates of Adhar are unable to cope up with the ever increasing expenses leading to a huge widening gap in the budget, which can only be bridged from benevolent contributions from individuals, well-wishers, and from corporate houses. Shri Vishwas Gore ji and his fellow Trustees are untiringly working with commitment to somehow manage to keep Adhar afloat and they have left no stone unturned in continuing to keep the facilities that are extended to the inmates of Adhar at its best.  

Even the staff of Adhar who look after the inmates like their own wards, have been working passionately with commitment and have also made sacrifices by not demanding the scale of increase in the salary that they truly deserve. Although Adhar has been lauded and has won national and international awards and recognition yet financial debts have continued to increase and the struggle to keep this great institution running is continuing unabated.

Through this post, I am appealing to all my friends, family and contacts to please join in this noble task of spreading awareness about the needs of Adhar and join me in contributing to Adhar in any which way either through donations or promoting Adhar by creating awareness about Adhar. Every single act of benevolence and contribution, howsoever small it may be, will immensely help in benefitting this great institution which is badly in need of continuous support and patronage. Your benevolent contribution and creating awareness about the institution among your friends, relatives and contacts will go a long way in continuing to bring smiles on the faces of the residents and their caregivers.

There is definitive global data driven evidence, which suggests that Persons with disabilities are more likely to experience adverse socioeconomic outcomes such as limited education, poorer health outcomes, lower levels of employment, and higher poverty rates. The COVID-19 pandemic - which is plaguing the world including our country with yet another variant - Omicron- making its entry into India, has wreaked havoc on the economies of the world and has adversely impacted the lives and livelihood of the people and this impact has been that much more severe on people with disabilities, who are uniquely impacted by the pandemic, including health, education, and transport considerations.

On this International Disability Day, it is time for the people to think about how we can create a society that is inclusive and caters to everyone’s needs. This day encourages people to think about how we can create a community that is inclusive for everyone. This day also gives us the perfect opportunity to further our knowledge and awareness about disabilities and to voluntarily help the organisations which are involved in providing support to such institutions.

I am giving here with the details of ADHAR, one such NGO, with which I am closely associated (www.adhar.org). Adhar provides a plethora of ways and means by which one can support Adhar. Incidentally ADHAR also has 80G tax exemptions for the donations that it receives and also has a FCRA clearance for receiving foreign donations.

The bank details of ADHAR where the donations can be made for the welfare of the 300 plus mentally challenged adult inmates at the two residential shelters in ADHAR are given on the website for those who wish to donate for this noble cause.

May this International Disability Day help in motivating people with ability to understand the importance of this day and may it motivate people to join the international efforts in bringing in smile on the faces of the people who differently abled.