THE DISABILITIES CELL
ALF has had the opportunity to liase with the Office of the Commissioner of Disability, Government of Karnataka over the past year, to run a legal aid cell for disabled people. The uniqueness of the cell is that it rides on the authority of the Commissioner to summon parties that are in disput. Disabled people face different problems depending on the type of theirdisability and their experiences with other people- like not being able to communicate with the authorities, not being able to access public places, public transport, discrimination within the different types of disability Working at the cell, the Alf members have also learnt that more than 50% of the cases can be settled out of court if intervention is made at an earlier/appropriate stage.
By virtue of possessing the special skills like sign language and also the rapport built with the disabled over the past years and the legal background has made it much easier for Anuroopa (who along with another member of ALF-Aarti runs the cell), to examine their problems and understand them.
The Office of the Commissioner for Disabilities (set up under the Persons with Disabilities (Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act of 1995) is given the power to look into the matters relating to deprivation of rights of persons with disabilities (which is read as "rights deprived/violated by virtue of being a disabled" ) and non-implementation of laws, rules, bye-laws, regulations, executive orders, guidelines or instructions for the welfare and protection of rights of persons with disabilities. Consequently, the cell from the Commissioners Office is only able to address grievances that pertain broadly to issues of employment, education and discrimination and certain other related issues.
The Cell is located at: # 40 Tambuchetty Road, Cox town, Bangalore 560 005
