Shillong, May 11: The special guests at Raj Bhavan were excited about the opportunity to have an audience with the first citizen of the state and sharing their stories with him while Governor V. Shanmuganathan saluted them for being an inspiration.

Students and representatives of NGOs working with physically challenged persons were invited to Raj Bhavan today. State government officials, including additional chief secretary Hector Marwein and those from the social welfare department, were also present.

The NGOs include Jyoti Sroat School, Roilang Livelihood Academy, Mary Rice Centre, School and Centre for the Hearing Handicapped Children, ASHA School, Dwar Jingkyrmen and Agency for Sustainable Development Initiatives (KJP Synod Sepngi).

Introductions were exchanged and representatives of the NGOs and the physically challenged persons shared their experiences and problems with the governor.

Senior coordinator of Bethany Society, Bertha G. Dkhar, who is visually impaired, gave an impressive speech narrating the hardship of physically challenged persons.

Dkhar informed the gathering that Meghalaya has around 45,000 physically challenged persons and the number of such persons who had come to Raj Bhavan was very few.

"Thousands of persons with disabilities are confined to their homes, especially in the rural areas, where they have no access to services or rehabilitation. The number of children with disabilities is very small in our schools and we do not have schools for persons with disabilities run by the government," she said.

Dkhar lamented that the state did not have trained teachers to cater to the needs of the physically challenged and that only 50 special educators were working in the entire state. However, she said, the persons with disabilities were hopeful that their problems and shortcomings would be rectified with the help and support of the government.

"Many a time, persons with disabilities are termed extra-ordinary. I do not know how we are extra-ordinary because we are ordinary citizens and we do not want to be objects of charity. We believe that we can live together in an inclusive society," Dkhar said.

She urged the governor to take up the pending Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill with Prime Minister Narendra Modi so that it can be passed by Parliament in the interest of the physically challenged persons.

A few students, including those of Jyoti Sroat School, spoke at the gathering while representatives of the NGOs narrated the problems faced by them and sought support from the governor.

The speeches and interactions were interpreted by an interpreter through sign language for the benefit of the persons with disabilities.

Shanmuganathan hailed his guests by saying, "You are the inspiration and you give confidence to many people. For you, there is no word like impossible in the dictionary."

He dwelt on the success stories of legends such as John Milton who suffered from physical disability. Though blind, he became one of the greatest English poets.

The governor also narrated the feat of India's star mountaineer Arunima Sinha, who lost her leg but successfully scaled Mount Everest.