University in India to begin department of disability studies

From the Express News Service in India:

CUTTACK, India -- Ravenshaw University is planning to start a Department of Disability Studies from the next academic session in July 2010 even as it pioneers the movement for barrier free campus and facilitating access to the physically and mentally challenged students.

The premier university has collaborated with disability rights organisation Swabhiman to raise awareness on such an important issue. It is set to host as many as 12 awareness workshops on disability to generate basic understanding of persons with disability as well as their challenges, strengths and capabilities to become equal citizens. The focus is to enhance the capacity of various stakeholders for creation of a society which is free from both physical and attitudinal barriers.

The first workshop `Understanding Disability’ was held recently in the Ravenshaw University campus. Chairperson of National Trust under Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment Poonam Natrajan and Dr. Sruti Mohapatra of Swabhiman conducted the workshop.

All the speakers reckoned that persons with disabilities across the globe have strengths and abilities and are capable enough to contribute to the community and to the country at large. It is a collective responsibility to work towards the social inclusion of all as a civil society, they said.