Our Impact – National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People

Due to NCPEDP’s consistent advocacy and stakeholder engagement efforts, the following impact was achieved:

Employment

Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) constituted a core group to evolve a policy on disability for the private sector.
Cyber Media India Ltd., a leading IT publishing house, ran a campaign to sensitize the IT sector on disability issues.
Findings of our NGO and Corporate Research Study prove to be eye – openers for people working in the sector and outside it.
Seminar series on ‘Employment Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities’ provides a platform to discuss, debate and analyze the issue, and to work out a concreate action plan.
NCPEDP’s engagement with the Ministry of Finance resulted in the revision of the Public Procurement Policy which mentions accessibility for persons with disabilities in all procurement procedures under Chapter 1.

The National Institute of Design (NID) launched a diploma programme titled ‘Design for the Disabled’
The Hotel Association of India (HAI) released a set of illustrative guidelines for disabled friendly facilities to be provided by their member hotels.
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) announced its policy to make all historical monuments in India accessible to persons with disability
NCPEDP’s advocacy effort with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology resulted in the issuance of the revised Guidelines for Indian Government Websites (GIGW) which also include accessibility standards for mobile application.
NCPEDP had provided the base document on which the Draft Guidelines for Accessibility Standard for ICT have been formulated. The Draft is currently at the LITD 35 Committee after receiving feedback and comments from the disability sector.
NCPEDP had advocated with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for implementation of the accessibility standards framed in Sep 2019 across all TV channels.
Efforts were also made to ensure the extension of accessibility standards to the OTT platforms as well as including accessibility features for persons with visual impairment.

University Grants Commission (UGC) launched two schemes – one to provide assistance to universities/ colleges to start special teacher preparation courses at the B.Ed/M.Ed levels and another to provide for appropriate facilities for persons with disabilities at educational institutions.
Service commission (UPSC) conducted the civil services examinations in an accessible and disabled friendly environment for the very first time in 2001.
NCPEDP submitted comments on the draft National Education Policy. As a result of its sustained advocacy efforts children/persons with disabilities were given due recognition in the Policy.

Our partnership with the Human Rights Law Network, a leading group working in the area of human rights, results in sensitization of the legal community on disability issues.
Government includes disability as a category for data collection in Population Census of 2001. This was a landmark achievement since, for the first time, a sincere effort was made to collect data on disability in India.
The National Advocacy Workshop on the Disability Act resulted in a document titled, ‘Call for Action’ which listed actions that should be taken by various sectors in order to further initiate the implementation of the Act.
World Disability Day celebrated on 3rd December, becomes a national movement of solidarity.
NCPEDP initiated strategic advocacy with Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment through the Department for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities on the inclusive disaster management. The ‘National Disaster Management Guidelines on Disability Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction’ and the state ‘Comprehensive Disability Inclusive Guidelines to States and Union territories for protection and safety of persons with disabilities in light of the pandemic give a major role to Disability Commissioners to ensure that no persons with disability is left behind in a disaster.
A National Webinar with MSJE officials as well as Disability Commissioners from across the states as well as Civil Society Organizations was also held.