New Delhi: National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP) has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for urgent attention towards the problem of lack of food, information, medical care and mobility being faced by disabled people during the lockdown.
In the letter, Arman Ali, executive director, NCPEDP, said people with disabilities are doubly vulnerable to the infection, given their dependence on attendants and caregivers and their use of aids for day-to-day living.
"They are also the first to be de-prioritised during shortage of food and medicines and will have least access to medical care and therapy."
The letter mentions that they are invariably the last to be contacted and informed. Even going to an ATM or a grocer remains a challenge for them in the absence of accessible implementation of directives like issuance of e-pass and others.
"People with disabilities have an additional cost of living that should be factored in while arriving at any compensation for them," he said.
The letter makes a few demands to the PM for the economic and social well-being of people with disabilities.
The organisation has asked for uniformity in pensions for people with disabilities across states and their urgent release, increase in ex gratia amount to Rs 5,000 and announcement of an adequate economic package for rehabilitation of disabled people.
It has also demanded strict enforcement of the "comprehensive disability inclusive guidelines for protection and safety of persons with disabilities (Divyangjan) during COVID-19" released by the Department for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities.
It has also asked the government to announce an adequate economic package for the rehabilitation of persons with disabilities, who were impacted by the lockdown.
