In Help Us Demand Our Rights as Disabled Citizens!

- By Jannie Aasted

Sumantha Prasad Khanal is a physically disabled villager from Kapilvastu. He is of the conviction that disabled people in rural areas need assistance in strengthening their network as well as in getting and utilizing information about their rights.

“Giving us the opportunity to earn money is very important. But it is also important to help us meet and discuss our problems. If we can sit together, we can unite and demand our rights. We can help friends in other remote areas”, says Mr. Khanal.

Two years ago, Mr. Khanal, 52, took a loan of 9000 rupees from MS partner ‘Jana Adarsha Social Centre’ (JASC) in Imilya to buy and raise goats. By now he has earned 11,900 rupees from selling seven of his 12 goats.

Mr. Khanal says goat keeping is a good source of livelihood. Having only one arm he can not do hard work. Most of his adult life, he was away from his wife and four children working as guard or servant for private companies in India. When he was only nine years old, he fell from a tree and injured his right arm. Doctors in Kolkata amputated it from the elbow. In Delhi,
a local NGO later provided him with an artificial limb. However, the support he got in Nepal has been limited only to the help from JASC.

Living far away from the media

That many disabled persons outside the urban areas lack proper care and attention is of great concern to Mr. Khanal. Living in a small house in the middle of the jungle, two hours walk from the highway, he does not have phone or electricity; no newspapers reach his area. The only way of getting information is through the radio. Even though programmes featuring disabled are regularly broadcast on Radio Lumbini, he is not impressed.

"I do hear about the rights of the disabled on the radio. But it is always the ones living in big towns who get some help and a chance to speak through the media sometimes." He, however, seemed hopeful that his story will now be published in a local paper by a journalist from the very same community radio, who was together with this scribe while talking to Mr. Khanal.

JASC willing to expand the support

The idea of creating a network among the disabled in the district is well taken by Shyam Bishta, secretary at JASC. He emphasizes that a meeting recently arranged by a local disability organisation was attended by beneficiaries of JASC. The aim was to encourage the participants to apply for an identity card proving their disabilities. The card will give them discount on public transportation.

According to the secretary, JASC certainly wants to elaborate the support for the disabled in their working area. Until now the activities for disabled within the partnership agreement with MS Nepal is limited to only two VDCs. “We would like to reach out to and gather all interested to have trainings and discuss about their rights as disabled citizens,” says Mr. Bishta.

Sumantha Prasad Khanal joins him and returns to the recently held meeting. His application for an identity card is now in progress. Afterwards he has come to think of one thing though: Are disabled persons only entitled to have discount or is free transportation by public buses actually their right? No one present is able to answer him. Sumantha Prasad Khanal thinks it ought to be free. It is like that in Delhi.

FACTS

Jana Adarsha Social Centre has given loans to 8 disabled villagers in Dubya and Hariharpur VDC in Kapilvastu.

MS Nepal has got a new strategic partner on disability: ‘Disabled Human Rights Centre’ (DHRC). According to Sudarshan Subedi from DHRC, disabled persons are entitled to have 50% discount on public transportation. In some areas in Nepal though, the fare for disabled is free after local disability organisations have advocated for further discounts.

DHRC is producing a weekly 15 minute long programme on disability issues in Radio Nepal. It is likely that MS Nepal will support the radio work of DHRC and encourage a future network on disability issues and access to local media at district or regional level.

Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities

I. PRECONDITIONS FOR EQUAL PARTICIPATION
Rule 1. Awareness-raising
Rule 2. Medical care
Rule 3. Rehabilitation
Rule 4. Support services

II. TARGET AREAS FOR EQUAL PARTICIPATION
Rule 5. Accessibility
Rule 6. Education
Rule 7. Employment
Rule 8. Income maintenance and social security
Rule 9. Family life and personal integrity
Rule 10. Culture
Rule 11. Recreation and sports
Rule 12. Religion

III. IMPLEMENTATION MEASURES
Rule 13. Information and research
Rule 14. Policy-making and planning
Rule 15. Legislation
Rule 16. Economic policies
Rule 17. Coordination of work
Rule 18. Organization of persons with disabilities
Rule 19. Personnel training
Rule 20. National monitoring and evaluation of
disability programmes in the implementa-
tion of the Rules
Rule 21. Technical and economic cooperation
Rule 22. International cooperation

IV. MONITORING MECHANISM

(Jannie Aasted is former Information Development Worker (western region) in MS Nepal)