Disabled & Families - Enabling Legislations

Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act 1995, was enacted to give effect to the proclamation, under the Decade for the Disabled in the Asia - Pacific region.

This Act deals with:

Prevention and early detection
Education for children with disabilities in regular and special schools
Non Formal education for persons with disability
Reservation of posts for the disabled
Special Employment exchange
Vacancies to be reserved in educational institutions and poverty alleviation schemes
Preferential allotment of land for certain purposes
Non discrimination of persons with disability

The National Trust Act

This Act provides for the constitution of a National body for the welfare of persons with autism, cerebral palsy, mental retardation and multiple disabilities.

The objects of the Act is to enable and empower persons with disabilities to live as independently as possible within their communities, and to provide help through a registered organization in times of crisis in the family of the disabled, on a permanent or temporary basis. A parent or relative or a registered organization can apply to the local level committee to be appointed as a guardian to a person with disability.

SPASTN is an Information Center for the National Trust and creates awareness through puppet shows and street plays on the policies of the Act and on guardianship.

Rehabilitation Council of India Act, 1992

This Act was enacted to regularize the services of rehabilitation professionals and to have standardized training for professionals in the field of rehabilitation. In order to significantly assist in achieving the objectives of the RCI Act, Regional Advisory committees were set up.

SPASTN is a member of the Southern Zonal Advisory Committee of the RCI for the Southern Region II, which covers the states of Tamilnadu, Kerala, Pondicherry and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.