After several stakeholders demanded more time to respond, the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) has extended the time for the public to submit comments on the draft National Policy for persons with disabilities (PwD), which was published last month, by one week time, with officials saying it could be extended further.
On Tuesday, the DEPwD of the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment said in a tweet that the last date for sending in comments on the draft policy had been extended from July 9 to July 15 “in view of the representations received from various stakeholders/organisations”.
The draft calls for expanding the disabilities prevention programme of the Health Ministry from “traditional causes” to other causes, including malnourishment and medical negligence. The policy also advocates for making vehicles more accessible for PwD, saying that the “MoRTH [Ministry of Road Transport and Highways] will issue necessary guidelines for making modification in the personal vehicles being used by persons with disabilities as per requirement.”
