Aims and objectives:
HANDICARE- Indian Association of the Handicapped is a disabled peoples' organization working for their rights for more than two decades. Being a watchdog of the interest of the disabled people it (HANDICARE) keeps vigil and sees that disabled people get social justice, empowerment and equal opportunities. HANDICARE has been instrumental in framing many conducive policies for the disabled people. Besides advocacy other major activities of the HANDICARE are:
Awareness cm Sensitization
National Disability Information cm Resource Centre
Publication of HANDINEWS (official Journal)
Disability Law unit
Accessibility
In recognition of HANDICARE as the voice of the disabled people it has been included in most of the policy making committees of the Government of U.P. to formulate various welfare measures for the disabled people e.g. State Coordination Committee
Stare Executive committee
Advisory Committee; Commissioner: Persons with Disabilities
Consultative Committee: Divisional Commissioner Lucknow, for making Lucknow Barrier Free and Accessible for all. Grant in Aid Committee for Supporting the Voluntary Organisations
District Railway Users Consultative Committee
HANDICARE periodically holds sensitisation workshops for the benefit of policy makers, society and disabled people and even for non-disabled school children on the subjects / issues which are very important and affect our daily lives. Some important workshops organized by HANDICARE are:
HANDIBILITY - I - Women with Disabilities
HANDIBILITY - II- Women with Disabilities Role Models
Awareness on Autism
Legal Rights of the Disabled People
Accessible Lucknow
10 Years of the Indian Disability Act Looking Back to Move Forward
Employment Opportunities for the Disabled People in Corporate Sector
Traffic, Transport, Railways and Disabled People. ACHIEVEMENTS:
HANDICARE was established in 1986 since than some of our major achievements are:
HANDICARE could motivate UCO Bank, Indian Overseas Bank & Bank of Maharashtra to provide special Car Loan to their disabled award (Clerk) staff who are as a rule are not entitled for Car Loans. Banks were not providing conveyance allowance to their disabled officers. HANDICARE was able to get the same clarified from the Ministry of Finance, Government of India resulting in Banks disbursing the Conveyance allowance to their officers having disability. HANDICARE persuaded the Ministry of Railways, Government of India for providing concessional fare to PWDs in AC II, AC III and AC Chair Car in trains where Ist Class coach has been replaced by either of these, many national level organizations (Rajeev Gandhi Foundation, Amar Jyoti, FOD, Spastic Society Sewah etc.) lent their support and forwarded our representation to the Ministry of Railways. HANDICARE was again able to persuade the Ministry of Finance, Government of India to enhance the conveyance allowance to the disabled Bank employees. Our struggle of four years paid its dividend and Ministry of Finance, Government of India raised the income Tax limit for the disabled people. HANDICARE was able to persuade the Uttar Pradesh Housing & Development Board to develop a barrier free park for the disabled people and they built India's first and only totally accessible park having a special toilet, provision for wheelchairs etc. They also given us two rooms in the park to extend our services their. We could arrange better facilities for the disabled people in getting disability certificates e.g. the practice of showing disability in the photograph to be affixed on the disabled certificates (DCs) has been stopped, instead a plain passport type photograph would suffice. Further instead of, once a week DCs are now made twice a week. On our suggestions a story on disability titled 'Dosti' was included in Hindi subject book for class III. Disabled employees and parents of the disabled children of U.P. Government have been exempted from routine transfer.
50% relief in House and Water Tax
Road Tax has been exempted on the school buses of the NGOs. Provision for 5% of the parking lot in U.P. to be reserved for free and special parking of the vehicles of the disabled people. Examinations to be conducted on the ground floor only of the disabled students. Again after our continuous persuasion of five years ramp has been made at the Charbagh, City, and Badshah Nagar railway stations. Provision for special parking for the vehicles of the disabled persons has also been made near the ramps. Subject areas(s) of work:
Communication
Education
Health
Information & Advocacy
Training
Primary target groups:
Adults
Children
Parents
