Focus on non-visible disabilities: Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan

Hyderabad: Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan on Tuesday greeted the disabled people on the occasion of International Day of Persons with Disabilities on December 3.

In a communiqué from Raj Bhavan, the Governor said, "I convey my best wishes and greetings to all the Divyang people on the occasion of International Day of Persons with Disabilities-2020 being celebrated on December 3, 2020. I salute the spirit and courage of the differently-abled persons which enable them to excel in many fields and set an example in overcoming the disabilities with strong will and determination. The theme for the International Day of People with Disabilities-2020 has been aptly selected as the "Not all Disabilities are Visible."

The theme highlights the need to create awareness and understand the disabilities that are not apparently visible like mental illness, chronic pain or fatigue, sight or hearing impairment, diabetes, brain injuries, neurological disorders, learning difficulties and cognitive dysfunctions among others. The theme reflects the need to understand the reality that disability in its visible or invisible form is part of the human condition, she said

"It is high time that we resolved and re-dedicated ourselves to create an equal, inclusive and barrier-free access world for the Divyangs in all respects, while understanding and focussing on the invisible disabilities. There are more than one billion people across the world (15% of the world population) living with disabilities of different kinds, while the number of Divyangs in India is 2.68 crore as per the 2011 Census," she said, appealing to all the people to give enough care, support, encouragement and prevent any discrimination towards the Divyang people and help create a more inclusive society where nobody is discriminated on the basis of disability visible or invisible. "The care and support for the persons with disabilities assumes greater importance during the Covid-19 pandemic and we must ensure their best of the morale during the pandemic and post-pandemic situation.

Let us all resolve to create more equal and inclusive world and end discrimination against any form of disability," the Governor added.