A Nagaland Where ‘No One is Left Behind’

A Presentation to the Nagaland Vision 2030 expert group Diethono Nakhro What do people with disabilities want? They want the same things that everyone else in the community wants. They want the opportunity to get a good education, get a job, lead worthwhile lives and be valued members of the society. They want to be able to go to church and worship, to go shopping, go out with family and friends, and enjoy a concert or festival celebration. They want a chance to participate meaningfully in the life of the community. They want their human rights recognised and realised. They want change and are hopeful that others will share their vision of an inclusive Nagaland that leaves no one behind, a Nagaland that enables people with disabilities to fulfil their potential as equal citizens, a Nagaland for all. People with disabilities are citizens with rights The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), ratified by India in 2007, recognises that persons with disabilities are right-holders instead of passive recipients of government schemes. It affirms the dignity and human rights of all people with disabilities and rejects the link between ability and impairment. It does not create any new rights but clearly states that ‘persons with disabilities have equal access and a right to full and effective enjoyment of all human rights’. The principles of the UNCRPD are: inherent dignity, non-discrimination, effective inclusion, respect for differences, equal opportunity, accessibility, gender equality and respect for the evolving capacities of children with disabilities. People with disabilities are not ‘objects’ of charity but ‘subjects’ with rights, capable of claiming those rights, able to make decisions for their own lives based on their free and informed consent and be active members of society. Overview of Nagaland People with disabilities represent the most excluded of all groups in Naga society. They are completely missing from the development landscape. Majority of children with disabilities cannot attend school. Most adults with disabilities are unable to participate in community activities such as meetings, community programmes and functions, festivals and religious services. They have no access to the labour market and encounter serious obstacles and discrimination in seeking employment or income-generating activities. Girls and women with disabilities, particularly those with psychosocial disabilities, are extremely vulnerable to physical and sexual abuse. To sum up, People with Disabilities in Nagaland: • Lack access to quality health services • Lack access to disability support services • Lack access to educational services • Lack opportunity to livelihood and economic empowerment • Excluded from participation in society due to environmental barriers • Excluded from participation in society due to attitudinal barriers Disability-inclusive development means that people with disabilities are systematically and consistently included in and benefit from development. The entire community, including persons with disabilities benefit equally from mainstream development processes. Disability-inclusive development sets out to achieve equal rights for people with disabilities as well as full/active participation in, and access to, all aspects of society. Persons with disabilities participate in all benefits of mainstream programmes and thus also participate in decision-making. Environmental, institutional and attitudinal barriers are identified and addressed to ensure that people with disabilities are fully included in all spheres of life that they participate in society and are optimally able to achieve their ambitions. Inclusive development is not a one-off activity; including persons with disabilities needs to be embedded in all the veins of the organisational culture. This will become visible in the organisations’ policies, systems and practices. (Count Me In: Light for the World, Netherlands) A ‘twin-track’ approach must be adopted by the government. This means that the aim must be to mainstream disability in all government policies and programmes while also supporting disability-targeted programmes. Full and active support must be given to programmes that target people with disabilities directly, but it needs to go further to ensure that all mainstream government programmes are disability-inclusive. People with disabilities are vulnerable because of the many barriers we face: attitudinal, physical, and financial. Addressing these barriers is within our reach and we have a moral duty to do so. Beyond that moral duty we would do well to remember the many other reasons to act. Legislation introduced to assist the disabled today will benefit nearly everyone at some point: almost all of us will be impaired at some time in life or care for someone who is. Stated objective of Nagaland Vision 2030: To prepare a document that envisions a sustainable, progressive and viable Nagaland There cannot be a sustainable, progressive and viable Nagaland if Nagas with disabilities are left out from the Nagaland Vision A viable Nagaland is one that includes people with disabilities in political, social, economic and environmental developments. • Because it is their human right to be included • Because no effort at development will be successful without their inclusion • Because not to do so is to consign another generation of children with disabilities to a life of isolation and indignity without education, with limited economic opportunity, with poorer health and with no involvement in the decisions that affect their daily lives Also, mounting evidence points to the high economic costs of excluding people with disabilities on the development agenda and the productive cycle – as it is estimated that the global annual GDP loss due to exclusion of disabled people from the labour market is between US$1.37 and 1.94 trillion. Furthermore, disability does not affect only one individual, but usually has ongoing repercussions on an entire household, especially in terms of time and money that is required to provide special care for an individual with disabilities. (Social Analysis and Disability: World Bank) Our VISION is a Nagaland where no one is left behind. A Nagaland where all citizens have equal opportunities to realise their rights, achieve their potential and live in dignity, free from poverty, exclusion, stigma, discrimination and violence. A Nagaland where people with disabilities have a voice, choice and control over the decisions that affect them; where they participate in and benefit equitably from everyday life, everywhere. To make this vision a reality a State Disability Strategy must be developed with a time-bound State Plan that addresses issues in all areas of life that exist solely on the basis of disability. The Strategy must articulate long-term goals across key policy areas which impact on people with disabilities, their families and carers. It must also provide leadership for a societal shift in attitudes towards disability and people with disabilities. • establishing a policy framework to guide government activity across general and disability-specific areas of public policy • driving improved performance of mainstream/general services in delivering outcomes for people with disabilities • giving visibility to disability issues and increasing the understanding and importance of the needs of persons with disabilities and ensuring that these needs are recognised when policy is developed or when initiatives which impact on disabled people are implemented • providing state leadership toward greater inclusion and opportunities for people with disabilities across all areas of society • Accessibility: Current situation: ZERO accessibility – in the physical environment as well as information and services. Accessibility is at the core of inclusion. Making the environment and services accessible must be the goal - the physical environment including public transport; buildings and housing, commercial spaces and all public places; digital information and communications technologies; civic life including social, sporting, recreational and cultural life. • Education and Skills: Current situation: Most children with disabilities have no access to education due to physical and attitudinal barriers, as well as lack of trained teachers – the repercussions of this situation echoes throughout their lives. Ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all must be given top priority - early childhood education and care, accessible schools, further education and vocational education • Health Services: Note: Having a disability is not synonymous with having a health problem: most people with disabilities live healthy lives. However, there is some evidence that, collectively, they experience poorer levels of health and require more healthcare than the general population (WHO & World Bank, 2011). Health services must be made accessible and affordable. Early intervention and rehabilitation health services must also be put into place on priority. This can help reduce future costs of care and support. Establishing strong interface between health and disability systems is also critical. • Support Services: Current situation: ZERO disability services - there is not even a single rehabilitation centre or any other support service available for people with disabilities in the state. There is urgent need for person-centred care and support provision by specialist disability services and mainstream services, as also informal care and support. Sustainable funding models and service approaches must be adopted. • Economic Security: Work is the pathway to long-term economic security and wellbeing for most people. But while people with disabilities face greater direct costs than other people because of additional expenses with transport, personal and health care, diet and communications, and disability assistive requirements, they have little or no earning opportunities. People with disabilities and their families and carers suffer immense economic burdens as a result. Barriers to employment and income generating opportunities must be identified and addressed, financial independence must be promoted and adequate income support must be provided for those not able to work. The inclusion of people with disabilities in work/employment can lead to greater economic self-sufficiency, which not only improves their quality of life but also decreases demands on social assistance. • Rights Protection and Justice: People with disabilities face discrimination in many areas of life. Statutory protections such as anti-discrimination measures, complaints mechanisms, advocacy, and justice delivery systems must be put in place It goes without saying that no action will be possible if funds and resources are not made available. Therefore, it is critical that the State Budget must demonstrate and reflect a commitment to give people with disabilities and their families a serious start to a life of inclusion and hope. “Nothing about us without us“(Latin: “Nihil de nobis, sine nobis”) is a slogan used to communicate the idea that no policy should be decided by any representative without the full and direct participation of members the group(s) affected by that policy. This involves national, ethnic, disability-based, or other groups that are often thought to be marginalized from political, social, and economic opportunities - Wikipedia The Government must work collaboratively with people with disabilities and their representative organisations in the development of policies, programmes and systems that affect people with disabilities. Disabled people are the experts in their own lives and their views are an essential part of any evidence base for action. Involving them in developing policy and development programmes will help identify gaps in knowledge and give an indication of whether the policy or programme will work in the short and long term. Including and engaging People with Disabilities and local Disabled Person’s Organisation (DPOs) in the design, delivery and monitoring and evaluation of policy and programmes and in round table discussion with the government is critical to hear first-hand the challenges people with disabilities are facing and identify effective approaches for collectively addressing these challenges. “Be participatory, actively and meaningfully involving people with disability in all matters concerning them in the process of forming policies and programmes; DPOs are key players in this process” (UN DESA 2011) An Inclusive and Enabling Nagaland where ‘No one is Left Behind’ is not an impossible dream. All it needs is political will and a strong commitment to take everyone along. For too long, Nagaland has ignored, excluded, isolated and neglected its citizens with disabilities. This is discriminatory and wrong and it needs to CHANGE.