Disabled people in India 'have few rights'
20/01/2010
People with disabilities in India have fewer rights than their able-bodies counterparts, it has been claimed.
According to MN Venkatachaliah, former chief justice of India and the current chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission, one of the major issues for these people is the government's apathy regarding the issue, the Hindu reported.
He told attendees at a workshop this week that although official statistics claim that 2.3 per cent of India's population have a disability, the real figure is around three times higher.
These people are subject to social prejudice, as are their families, the news provider reported Mr Venkatachaliah as adding.
"It is the responsibility of the government to uphold the rights of the people with special needs and they should be involved in every sphere of society," governor of Karnataka HR Bhardwaj is quoted as stating.
Last month, the Economic Times of India claimed that businesses in Bangalore are becoming increasingly aware of the talents of jobseekers with disabilities.
Written by Clare Devlin
