Make rights of disabled part of syllabus: Madras HC

The first bench, comprising Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice M Sundar, while dealing with a batch of writ petitions pertaining to the welfare of the physically challenged, also directed the State to set up ‘counselling centres’ in all educational institutions from the next academic year and if necessary provide necessary psychiatric and/or specialised/ assistance.

The bench further held, “The State government shall ensure that the differently abled have equal access to education. Admission in an educational institution shall be ensured in respect of differently abled, to not only to special educational institutions for the differently abled, but also to some educational institutions for general students, so that the differently abled children can mingle with and be brought up along with the other general students.”

Further, the first bench also directed the State government to immediately collaborate with the Tamil Nadu State Legal Services Authority and District Legal Services Authorities to conduct awareness campaign and sensitisation programmes for protection of the rights of persons with disabilities.

Programmes and campaigns shall, inter-alia, be directed to promote tolerance, empathy and respect for the differently abled; advance recognition of the skills, merits and abilities of persons with disabilities and of their contributions in all fields and foster respect for the decision made by the persons with disabilities on all matters relating to family life, relationships, child bearing and raising children, the bench added.