The Meghalaya government on Wednesday joined the international community in observing the International Day of Persons with Disabilities at the U Soso Tham Auditorium in Shillong. Delivering his address, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, said the true measure of a society is not how it treats the strong, but how it uplifts those who face challenges. “Today, we celebrate extraordinary ability; the power to overcome, to create, and to inspire,” he said.
The Chief Minister said Meghalaya’s flagship platform has shifted narratives from charity to rights, from pity to dignity and from labels to abilities. “Through the Meghalaya Grassroots Music Project, we created the Eastern Brook Band, musicians with disabilities, who now carry our state’s story to the world,” he said. He also added that Meghalaya’s first Disability Anthem has reshaped public perception into a statewide emblem of hope. “Our inclusive debate competition opened college doors to neurodivergent students. We identified 30 PwD (persons with disability) entrepreneurs, funded eight with Rs 2.5 lakh each, and established the first PwD-run CSC in the entire Northeast,” he informed.
He also said the first blind football tournament that was organised in the state, taught important values of solidarity. “As of today, we have fully implemented the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, the Meghalaya Rules, and the State Policy for Empowerment,” he said and informed that 41 government buildings were made fully accessible with 84 government websites accessible. The Chief Minister also said that the Meghalaya Sign Bank App, 10,000 signs which was nationally awarded, ensures digital participation for all. “Our statewide community-based rehabilitation network reaches all districts and 46 blocks with over 70 percent UDID coverage with 32,000 PwDs having their identity cards,” he said, adding that 58 merit-based scholarships are awarded annually with 370 students who have benefitted.
“Our District Resource Centres bring physiotherapy, speech therapy, audiology and early intervention services to every corner,” he stated. He further informed that Meghalaya became the first state in the Northeast to embed mental well-being within governance and lauded several PwD who have risen against all odds and have become achievers and beacons of hope and inspiration in various fields. “As we celebrate EMPOWERFEST 3.0, we celebrate a movement that transformed isolation into participation and sympathy into empowerment. EMPOWERFEST stands for Meghalaya that believes in talent, dignity, and equity,” he said, concluding his address.
The Chief Minister also felicitated the outstanding PwDs and also gave the awards to the winners of the Inclusive Film Festival, EMPOWERFEST. Inauguration of K-9 Sniffer Dogs Canine Unit and MoU with Sankaradeva College for State Wide Drugs Survey also formed a part of the occasion.