Guwahati: President Droupadi Murmu presented the National Awards for the Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities for the years 2021 and 2022 in New Delhi on Saturdayin honour of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
Addressing to the gathering, the president noted that the UN estimated that there are more than one billion people with disabilities worldwide.
Droupadi Murmu said, “It means that approximately every eighth person in the globe has a disability of some kind. The percentage of people with impairments in India is around 2%. As a result, it falls on all of us to make sure that people with disabilities may live independent, respectable lives. Moreover, it is our responsibility to guarantee that kids receive a good education, live in secure environments, are free to select their job, and have access to equitable employment opportunities.”
The President stated that everyone, including those with impairments, may be empowered through education. She emphasised the importance of making the most of technology to reduce language-related educational barriers and increase accessibility for children with impairments.
The President further stated that Divyangjan is being empowered through a number of government initiatives.
“Inculcating self-confidence in Divyangjan is very important to empower them. People with disabilities have talents and abilities just like normal people, and sometimes more than them. To make them self-reliant, it is only necessary to instil in them self-confidence. She urged all sections of the society to motivate the Divyangjan to become self-reliant and move ahead in life. She said that when our Divyang brothers and sisters would make their effective contribution by joining the mainstream, then our country would move forward on the path of development at a faster pace,” the President further said.
Every year, the National Awards for the Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities are presented to People, Institutions, Organizations, States, and Districts for their outstanding accomplishments and work towards the empowerment of Persons with Disabilities by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.