The National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP), in collaboration with Young Indians Guwahati and supported by Mphasis F1 Foundation, convened a state‑level consultation to address the political exclusion of persons with disabilities (PwDs) in Assam.
The consultation gathered over 130 individuals with/without disabilities and Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) to discuss political participation of PwDs and draft a consolidated Charter of Demands for the upcoming Assam State Assembly Elections.
Key Demands in the Charter
– Affordable and accessible private health insurance for all PwDs.
– Statewide awareness campaigns on disability issues.
– 5% reservation for PwDs in all governance tiers.
– Mandatory gender‑ and disability‑inclusive Panchayats.
– Incentive schemes for private sector to promote accessibility.
– Time‑bound enforcement of disability rights legislation.
– Dedicated budget allocations for inclusive education and sensitization.
– Provision of accessible sports facilities for PwDs.
The “Mera Vote Mera Bharat” campaign, led by NCPEDP, seeks to strengthen PwDs’ political inclusion, enabling them to exercise their constitutional rights fully. NCPEDP has engaged over 20,000 individuals with disabilities in 9 state assembly elections and the General Elections 2024.
Arman Ali, Executive Director of NCPEDP, said, “Democracy is meaningful only when every citizen can participate equally. PwDs are asserting their right to political participation,” highlighting accessibility as a fundamental right for inclusive democracy.
The Charter of Demands will be submitted to major political parties for inclusion in their election manifestos, targeting over 2 lakh registered PwD voters in Assam.
