Govt. to Come Up With Indian Sign Language for Disabled People

In an attempt to provide empowerment to disabled people, the government has decided to come up with Indian sign language, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said.

Modi in a message during the 9th World Assembly of the Disabled People's International (DPI) to be held on April 11-13 in New Delhi said "My government is fully committed to the UN ConventionofRights for Persons with Disabilities, for achieving empowerment and inclusion of persons with disabilities,"

"The cost of exclusion of people with disability from the workforce is 3-7 per cent of the GDP, as per World Bank estimates. Initiatives such as 'Accessibility India' campaign aim to male the built environment inclusive for persons with disabilities. We are also making Indian Railways accessible and starting a centre to develop Indian sign language," he said.

Thaawar Chand Gehlot, minister for social justice and empowerment, will address the plenary session of the event that is being supported by the UN and G3ICT.

UN Global Alliance for ICT and Development, in cooperation with the Secretariat for the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities at UN department of economic and social affairs, launched an advocacy initiative in December 200g called G3ict or Global Initiative for Inclusive Information and Communication Technologies.

In March 2016, the government's "Inclusiveness and Accessibility Index" — that measured actions and attitudes of organisations towards disabled employees — called for enabling access to them in buildings and workplaces, public transportation etc.

Javed Abidi, the global chair of DPI which has members from over 150 countries, said "rebuilding andretro-fittingto accommodate people with disability must be discouraged".

"Accessibility has to be built into both public and private sector procurement. Otherwise, the disabled people cannot even get the education, let alone employment," he said.