Disability Orientation to the Ward representatives and officials of Kathmandu Metropolitan city

CIL conducted a 2-days presentation and interaction with the representatives and the officials under Kathmandu metropolitan city on important issues and concerns of persons with disabilities. The introduction to the national and international policies, provisions, and legislation was also included in the orientation. The sessions were conducted for the ward representatives and officials of all 32 wards within the metropolitan were oriented on the following day of the program.

The program was organized on 29th and 30th June 2022. 50 participants attended the orientation program held at the hall of Kathmandu metropolitan city where representatives of CIL and the department of social development of Kathmandu metropolitan were also present. The sessions were facilitated by Bhawani Kapali and Shanta Poudel from the department of social development and Ganesh KC, the disability rights activist and secretary general of CIL Kathmandu.

The session by Mrs. Kapali focused on the categorization of disability as said by the Act on rights of Persons with Disabilities, 2017, and the issues of them. She then linked the levels of disabilities with the provision of disability identity cards and the issues found to date during the distribution of disability cards. The session also highlighted some key roles of local governments to ease the life of PWDs in their administrative territory.

Another session that was facilitated by Santa Poudel explored the legal provisions, acts, policies, and programs of the state regarding the PWDs. The discussion also outlined the provisions mentioned in such documents, highlighting the roles of local Governments to address those provisions.

Finally, the constitutional provision on inclusion, non-discrimination, and equality of persons with disabilities was presented by Ganesh KC. He identified several areas where the rights of PWDs have been properly mentioned in the country’s supreme law. The interaction also identified the gaps in documentation and implementation and discussed the roles of local agencies in breaching the gap.