The handshake is firm and there is a sense of determination in his eyes. As he sits behind his desk in the office where his father perused numbers for more than fifty years, Avelino de Sa is patient but businesslike. Miles to run before he sleeps would be a very apt description for him. The founder President of the Disability Rights Association in Goa is a financial planner but his passion is in trying to “right” some of the wrongs against a segment of the society that has a very tough time just trying to exist.
Mahatma Gandhi had said “A nation’s greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest member’s”, apt one would say and on that score it can be safely said by replacing nation with state and Goa has missed that bus. Goa has not ratified the Rights of Persons with disabilities bill. This was passed in December 2016 by the Central government. In Goa, however, it has just not come up and despite assurances by the minister concerned, nothing even in this session.
Avelino along with the NGO DRAG has been fighting for the rights of the disabled in the state for some time now. He is also on the North Goa local level committee of the national trust for persons with intellectual disabilities. Avelino received the national award for activism by Adapt, formerly known as the Spastic Society of India in 2015. He was also featured in India’s top 50 modern heroes by the Better India website.
He has spent the last several years fighting to increase the government’s sensitivity to the disabled. Avelino believes passionately that accessibility is very important. Avelino said “Many buildings in the state are just not accessible to us. We cannot move freely. If this happens, we will not have access to education, employment and entertainment. Accessibility or its absence, changes our lives completely. If and when it will happen it will be a game changer”. Another aspect of life is employment. People suffering from various kinds of disabilities are entitled to employment in the government sector. Three per cent jobs are in fact reserved for this segment of the society but the state government has in 20 years only filled up 2% of the jobs.
A child without education is like a bird without wings, a proverb that is so true and one has to thank the Tibetans for that one. Education has been another battle ground. Regular schools in Goa are not open to accepting children with disabilities. Many of them do not possess the physical infrastructure to handle the demands of these kids. Today, there are 40 to 50% kids in special schools who can be easily be accommodated in regular schools. As Avelino said “It all depends on the determination of the Directorate of Education and the Goa Shiksha Abhiyan. The modified inclusive education scheme is pending for approval with the state government for 5 years and no reason has been given for this delay. It shows the state’s commitment to inclusive education.”
This drive and passion comes from confidence which he says came courtesy his education. Unlike other kids who suffered from cerebral palsy, Avelino did not study in a special school. He studied in a regular school and learned to interact with regular children at an early age. He said “In a special school all the kids are suffering from some kind of disability and they are comfortable. But when they leave the confines of the school, they have to face the world. Kids who will mock and tease them which results in a loss in confidence and makes them turn inwards”.
With regards to challenges in the future, he said it would be important to have a sensitive government, a government that would listen to the demands of the disabled. Speaking about smart cities, he felt it should mean the infrastructure should be accessible to people with physical disabilities and technology being available for people with visual and hearing impairment. Attitudes in society he said had to change. There were, he said enough of examples of disabled individuals who had done very well due to the support of their parents and more importantly parents of special children should accept their children as a plan of God for their good.
Drag was established in 2003 by people with disability to help bring them into the mainstream of society. In his rather fortright manner Avelino said, “Our objective is to take up the issue with the state government to help disabled people get their rights from various departments. We also create programmes to sensitize students and the general public. We also network with other organistations for the benefit of the handicapped”.
It is a tough road ahead in the face of official apathy. One has to remember this dreadful statistic. Four per cent of the population in Goa suffers from some form of disability.
