Bhubaneswar: Speakers in a Workshop on Empowerment of PwDs, keeping in view Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)-2030 gave more importance on stategic shifts to promote the rights and wellbeing of PwDs in all spheres of society.
Organised by the SSEPD Department on the eve of International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the workshop had a thorough discussion on the theme of this year’s celebration.
It was expressed that given the multiple challenges we are facing today, the world is not on track to reach many SDG targets according the preliminary findings from the UN Disability and Development Report 2023.
Thus united efforts of Governments, NGOs, Social Engineers, Corporate Bodies and Civil Society has become necessary to have more visible socio-economic growth of PwDs.
The speakers discussed many aspects pertaining to SDG targets in Odisha such as correlation between UN Vision and SDGs, digital empowerment of PwDs, education and skill development and livelihood, new technology for education and training, norms and standards of model behaviour and social adequate towards PwDs, monitoring the off tracking of SDGs, transmative solutions against the mix and misconception towards PwDs, disability accessibility, excellence in sports, barrier free school, involvement of PwDs in disaster risk reduction and multiple crisis faced by PwDs in their day to day life.
It was also suggested to have integrated sports complex for PwDs, call centre, database for job-seekers, strengthening of empowerment activities from grassroot level in Odisha.
N C Pati and Sannyasi Behera chaired two sessions respectively while Jagadananda, Member, Standing Committee of NITI Aaayog, Pratap Rath, Psychologist, Former Administrator R.K. Sharma, Soubhagya Routray, Siba Prasad Behera, Rajiv Raturi, Mohit Kejriwal, Bijay Routray, Md. Jafer Ekbal, Dilip Roy, Special Secretary SSEPD and others participated. Deepak Routray proposed vote of thanks.