Tag Archives: divyangs

Empowerment of Divyangs: Teachers’ MLC Declares his Commitment

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To empower Divyangs, People’s Action for Rural Awakening organised a Parents’ Meeting at PARA, Ravulapalem on June 28, 2019. The chief guest for the programme was East and West Godavari Districts MLC Illa Venkateshwar Rao.

Introducing the newly elected Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) from the Teachers’ Constituency to the participants, DAPC and Liliane Fonds Coordinator, B Subbayamma, appreciated his simplicity. She said that the council member does not haveany police escort and travels by RTC services.

The DAPC underlined that the vital role of the government in the empowerment and development of Divyangs. As per “The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill – 2016”there are 21 types of disabilities compared to the 7 listed in the 1995 Act. The Act speaks of equal opportunities, protection of rights and full participation of Divyangs.

DAPC committee members submitted a memorandum demanding: 1) Facilities like ramps and washrooms convenient to disabled people at schools and colleges, 2) Multiple disabled option be included in the Sadaram certificate, 3) Allowing earlier students with comparatively lesser marks to be eligible for Group-4 exams and 4) Withdrawal of the A single pension for a single ration card policy and support of each Divyang regardless of the number of Divyangs in a family.

Addressing the gathering, Mr Venkateswar Rao said that he neither belongs to ruling nor opposition parties, I belong to “people’s party” and work for the development of people. He added that he would speak for disabled people in Legislative Council and if need be he would “fight” outside the council. The council member asked the participants to give a written representation of their demands. He later distributed books and bags to disabled children and a sewing machine to the parents as part of Income Generating Programme (IGP).

PARA Director Fr Ignatius said that it was a joy to be able to work with the Divyangs and appreciated the families who cared for them with great commitment.

‘9 out of 10 differently-abled students drop out’

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People’s Action for Rural Awakening in collaboration with CHAI-LF organised the “We Ring the Bell” campaign across two Telugu States Andhra Pradesh and Telangana on March 13, 2019. Around 1,000 people, including head masters, teachers, PARA staff and differently-abed children and committee members actively participated.
On the occasion, Community-based Rehabilitation worker B Mahima Rao underlined that 9 out of 10 children with a disability were dropping out of schools due to lack of minimum facilities for their condition and hence are left behind at home. He added that it was time for everybody to come together and draw the attention of government towards the problems faced by differently-abled children at schools by sounding the alarm bell.


Lauding the services of PARA, Teacher Murali said that there were two differently-abled students in their school who attend the school without a miss. On the occasion, he asked if PARA staff could help to provide a wheelchair to Sajeev Rao, a student of the school.
Shouting slogans that they need schools to be differently-abled-friendly, the children indicated 10 action points that persons with disabilities need to facilitate their education. These included ramps, restrooms, transport facility, good guidance, and so on. To show their solidarity, teachers, committee members and others observed the occasion by signing the manifesto, and joined the children in shouting slogans, blowing whistles and waving pom-poms.