A group of persons with cross disability section, formed into a group to initiate intervention for the development of the persons with disabilities across the state of Andhra Pradesh under the leadership of Mr. Srinivasulu with loco motor disability.
He hailed from a marginal background and served as a journalist in a vernacular newspaper. The initial concept of the group was initiated through a monthly magazine called ‘Vaartha Teja’ in the year 1996.
This magazine reflected various issues of persons with disabilities across the state and had gained popularity as a magazine emphasizing on disability issues and rights. In this process a platform emerged for persons with disabilities to share and express their concerns which evolved into an organization called
Network of Persons with Disability Organisations (NPdO) and was registered in the year 2003 with a strong objective – to stand for the rights of persons with disabilities.
Over a period of time NPdO emerged as strong rights based advocacy group with a membership of 70,000 persons with disabilities across Andhra Pradesh. The organization provided a platform for persons to raise their voices for their rights.
Its network had take forth various interventions across the state of Andhra Pradesh ensuring coverage of all disability groups, through facilitating frequent training and awareness generation activities on various provisions and entitlements.
NPdO Activities.....
- Advocacy and networking on disability and inclusive issues
- Raising awareness on rights, entitlements and opportunities for persons with disabilities
- Facilitation of converged platforms for persons with disabilities to raise their voices through advocacy interventions
- Building capacities of the grass root level disability rights activists
- Influencing policy makers, bureaucrats, government and public representatives on effective policy making implementation and evaluation
- Collaboration activities like workshops, meetings, trainings with likeminded rights based approach organizations
- Campaigning activities through community and media collaboration
- Prevention, Early-intervention, Detection, Correction and ensure Medical, Social, Economic, Political Empowerment through community based approach.
Accomplishments:
- A case has been filed in honorable High Court for providing barrier free and accessible environment in the polling booths during 2009 election as result the High court has issued an order to provide barrier free environment like Ramps, separate queue , Braille viting machines etc..
- The first among the three major accomplishments is advocating successfully with the government in bringing a separate GO (government order) for Dwarfs as they were not considered as persons with disabilities.
- The organization filed public interest litigation in collaboration with Leprosy Federation and Human Rights Law Network Andhra Pradesh for restoring rehabilitation centers for the leprosy cured patients; as a result the High Court has directed concerned authorities, to implement the rehabilitation services at the door step of leprosy cured colonies.
- NPDO has successfully mobilized 15,000 above Persons with disabilities across the state of Andhra Pradesh and presented 50 demands to the government, as a result of which the state government has released 4 GO’s on the following :
- Enhancement of marriage incentive to Rs.3000 to 10,000/-
- Scholarship amount is increased and made equivalent to the entitlements and amount of SC/ST candidates
- Total fee reimbursement for any profession degree and above courses as against just Rs.4000 earlier
- Entitlement increased from single to multiple, this means that the persons with disabilities will be entitled to get more than one type of benefit at the same time depending upon their need as against earlier where they were entitled to get only one benefit at one point of time.
- Earlier, some of the schemes like housing were subjected to the condition of the PWD members getting married.
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