March 20, 2002

‘10’

    The Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI) and the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) signed a Memorandum of Understanding to evolve a National Programme for promotion of volunteering in the disability sector here today. The objective of the MOU is to promote volunteering among professionals and people with vocational expertise and also among persons with disabilities so that process of inclusion can be accelerated. The other important objective of the MOU is to change attitudinal barriers and to promote volunteering in rural areas, both for the purpose of imparting better education to children with special needs as well as to promote vocational development so that image and economic independence of persons with disabilities is enhanced. The MoU was signed on behalf of RCI by its Member Secretary Dr. J.P.Singh and on behalf of UNV Dr. Shantam Seth, Volunteer Promotion Advisor, in presence of the Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Dr. Satyanarayan Jatiya.

    Earlier inaugurating a National Workshop on Assessment and Accreditation of RCI recognised training institutions for Human Resource Development in the field of rehabilitation and special education, Dr. Jatiya called for outreaching the disabled in far flung and inaccessible areas. He said that there is need for increased voluntary effort for reaching the unreached. Dr. Jatiya said that this would strengthen various programmes of his Ministry at district and other lower levels. Welcoming the MoU, the Minister expressed the hope that it would facilitate the generation of trained voluntary manpower for providing various services in the disabled sector and promoting inclusion.

    The main aim of the two-day workshop organised by the RCI is to help promote voluntary effort for and amongst the persons with diability. The Chairman of the RCI Maj. H.P.S.Ahluwalia said that seven Zonal Advisory Committees would be set up to coordinate different phases of activities to be undertaken for the national programme. The RCI is the apex body of the disability sector in India promoting voluntary efforts through its approximately 200 training institutions. There are about 70 to 100 million persons with disability in the country with only about ten percent of them getting any of the various services.