The authorities who are supposed to enforce the Disability Act are not even aware of it, Governor R.N. Ravi said.
“Every parent and family member are worried about what will happen to their child [who is disabled]. There is a need for greater awareness and sensitivity,” he said at a book release event organised by Sowmanasya Trust, Chennai, in association with the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan.
Noting that there is a social stigma attached to autism, the Governor said the popular attitude of the people was to have pity on those with autism and some people’s response towards them was hostile – this attitude must change, he said.
The Hindi version of the book Advaitha And Autism written by Lakshmi, founder of the Sowmanasya Trust, was released by the Governor. K.V.S. Gopalakrishnan, President of the P.S. Educational Society; Sudha Seshayyan, Vice-Chancellor, Dr. M.G.R. Medical University; and K.N. Ramaswamy, Director of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan’s Chennai Kendra; were present. The book was translated into Hindi using a translator Mr. Mahadevan.
Mr. Ravi urged Ms. Lakshmi to come out with more such books and get it translated in all languages so that it reached many people. He said that it could be made available online on digital platforms.
