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December 25, 2004

Shakya seeks assistance for disabled children

From: Gorkhapatra - Kathmandu,Nepal - Dec 25, 2004

KATHMANDU, Dec. 25: Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare Ashtalaxmi Shakya has said that the government is committed to protecting the rights and interests of the mentally-retarded persons, and underlined the need for cooperation from all sides in providing them legal protection.

Inaugurating the 15th annual general meeting and eighth general convention of the Kathmandu Association of the Deaf here today, she said the hard of hearing should be encouraged to move forward.

Stating that the lone efforts of the government would not be sufficient in the uplift of the women, children, blind, the disabled as well as other oppressed and down-trodden sections of society, Minister Shakya stressed active cooperation from all sectors to that end.

At the programme, Minister Shakya gave away certificates to the trainees who have successfully completed training at the training centre for the deaf and the instructors and letters of commendation to two girl students who passed the School Leaving Certificate (SLC) examinations of 2003 in the first division.

President of the organising association Deepak Kumar Shakya called for opening a college for the deaf in order to provide the hearing-impaired the opportunity to gain higher education.

He demanded that the government provide a plot of land to the Kathmandu Association of the Deaf to construct its offices and making arrangements for providing driving licenses to the deaf.

Representatives of the Nepal National Federation of the Deaf, the parents of the deaf and the Japanese disabled and deaf persons, who had come to participate in the general convention, underlined the need for providing education and employment opportunities to the mentally-retarded persons.

The Nepal National Federation of the Deaf has 17 members including the Kathmandu Association of the Deaf.

The Kathmandu Association of the Deaf is working for the promotion of the rights and interests of the deaf since 2037 BS.

At present schools for the deaf have been run in Kathmandu, Bhairahawa, Janakpur, Dharan and Surkhet in the Kingdom, while 25 deaf persons have passed the SLC examination.

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