Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (HB/EP)

Udupi, Feb 21: “A centre to identify differently abled in the district will be opened soon,” said V S Basavaraj, state commissioner for persons with disabilities. He was speaking in a news conference held in zilla panchayat auditorium here on Wednesday, February 20.

“There are 14 schools for special children in the district. Their number should be decreased. It is better to make such children grow in the care of parents. Parents visit several doctors to identify disabilities of their children. They also go to several places for their treatment. Therefore, a centre with expert doctors who can identity disabilities of children early will be opened in Udupi soon,” said Basavaraj.

“The centre will have child specialists, bone specialists, speech and hearing experts, physiotherapists and psychiatrists to identify the setbacks in children on time, provide treatment and training to children and guidance to parents. It is decided to open the centre in Udupi district hospital premises,” he said.

There are about 16,000 differently abled in Udupi. As the benchmark to identify the handicaps has changed, they may be 25,000 in number. There are programmes for differently abled in every department and all the officials should work in coordination. Suitable directions are given to officials about them in today’s progress review meeting,” he said.

“The handicapped should be called handicapped only. The meaning will change if the words are changed as differently abled,” he said to the department.

State assistant commissioner for persons with disabilities S K Padmanabha, women and children welfare department deputy director Gracy Gonsalves and district empowerment officer for physically handicapped and senior citizens, Niranjan Bhat were present.