New Delhi,  Early detection of disability among children is important to ensure their optimal development, Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale said on Friday.

He has urged the parents to take children to a medical practitioner before they complete 6 months of age to know whether they suffer from any kind of disability.

The government has launched the Accessible India Campaign so that buildings are accessible for the Divyangjan.

Under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act - 2016, the types of disabilities have been increased from existing 7 to 21. Reservation for Divangjan in government jobs has been increased to 4 per cent from exiting 3 per cent, while the reservation in higher education has been increased to 5 per cent from 3 per cent, said Athawale while speaking at the inauguration of the Regional Centre of National Institute for the Empowerment of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities (NIEPID) DIVYANGJAN, in Navi Mumbai.

He said that 14 Cross-Disability Early Intervention Centres located at 7 National Institutes and 7 Composite Regional Centres are already functioning under the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment.

The 24x7 Toll-Free Mental Health Rehabilitation Helpline KIRAN (1800-599-0019) has been launched by Department of Empowerment of Persons with in 13 languages to provide relief and support to persons with Mental Illness, in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic. Divyang people have exceptional talents and the institutes like NIEPID provide them the necessary training so that they can get jobs and become independent, said the minister.

The newly constructed five-storey building of Regional Centre of NIEPID has facilities like Special School, Early Intervention, Therapeutics, skill training, Library, Conference room, Hostel for trainees, family cottages, Respite Care Unit, Staff Quarters. The building will be providing services like Psychological Assessment, Behaviour Modification, Parental Counselling, Special Education Assessment and Programming, Remedial Teaching, Vocational Training and Skill Development, Early Intervention, Occupational Therapy Services.