Indian Group Files Lawsuit to Force Implementation of Disability Law
By Kay Schriner (kays@uark.edu)
In an ironic move, the high court of Bombay, India has ordered that a temporary ramp be constructed to permit petitioners to enter the building for arguments in their lawsuit to force implementation of the People with Disabilities Act (PDA). The Spastic Society of India has filed the public interest lawsuit, which asks the high court to intervene.
The National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP), based in Delhi, has also protested the lack of accessibility in Indian buildings. Javed Abidi, the executive director of NCPEDP, asks why temporary ramps were installed at the Taj Mahal and Red Fort to accommodate visitor Stephen Hawking - a famous scientist who uses a wheelchair. "Why can't these ramps be put there permanently so that we too can enjoy the marvels?" he asked.
In other developments in India, the chief minister of Maharashtra, admitted that the government has been "dragging its feet" in implementing the PDA. He promised that the state would fill its 3% quota of jobs for disabled people despite the ban on new hires in some departments. He also pledged to spend much more of the state's disability allocation to help people with disabilities.
Information for this story taken from Times of India
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