New Delhi: Releasing a vision document for the differently-abled in the country, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj on Saturday said BJP would help empower them by evolving policies to make them independent.
She also said the party would do everything for the acceptance of the word "differently-abled" instead of "disabled" at the United Nations.
Addressing members of BJP Mahila Morcha at a seminar "Saksham" here, the BJP leader said the party`s approach would be to include differently-abled persons in mainstream development programmes. BJP president Nitin Gadkari earlier released the vision document at his residence this morning and congratulated the Mahila Morcha team for the initiative.
"It is our endeavor to ensure that differently-abled persons in our country are empowered and included in programmes related to the nation`s development as equal partners," said Gadkari. Speaking at the seminar Swaraj urged Mahila Morcha to undertake this effort in every state. "I promise that wherever we are able to do anything, we will work towards acceptance of `differently-abled`" she said.
Swaraj felicitated some differently-abled women - Madhu Singhal, Chairperson of NGO Mitra Jyoti, Nishta Thaker, IAMD President of Gujarat Chapter, Neeru Gautam, President of NGO Sanjeevani and Sanjana Goel, National Chairperson of IMDA, for working for the welfare of persons with diabilities and helping empower them.
BJP Mahila Morcha president Smriti Irani reaffirmed her commitment to take this initiative across the country with special attention to rural India where she said 80 per cent of the disabled lived.
PTI