Bhubaneswar, Sept. 23: From hopelessness to brimming with hope and inspiration - the change in 17-year-old Chinmay Dhal was significant.
Dhal, a visually impaired student who had seen many of talented seniors and friends remain jobless because of their physical disabilities, was one of the 60 participants at the first Odisha Youth Conclave, hosted at a city-based hotel for youth with disabilities today.
The conclave discussed the various opportunities available or opening up for youths with disabilities in the state and the country.
The state government's newly-formed department, social security and empowerment of persons with disability - one of the very few of its kind in India - promised the youths with disabilities all the necessary support if they came up with innovative enterprising projects.
Chief secretary Gokul Chandra Pati advised the secretary of the new department, Saswat Mishra, to develop a network of competent organisations and agencies to impart suitable skills to physically challenged youths.
"Education, technological access and skill training can enhance the hidden abilities and special qualities in differently-abled persons," said Pati.
The youths also got to know about a special scholarship for them. The scholarship, for which the last date of application is September 30, will help the youths with their education and skill training.
The various upcoming schemes from the central and state governments to make differently-abled employable were also announced at the conclave.
"It was heartening to know that the central government's department of empowerment of persons with disabilities is planning to train 25 lakh men and women with disabilities. This year itself, it will train one lakh people. Seeing many of my senior graduates jobless despite their skills only because they were physically challenged used to worry me. But now I'm hopeful that our generation will have more opportunities," said Rosalin Choudhury, a Plus Two Science student.
Apart from information on employment, the conclave offered the 60 participants the chance to interact with eminent personalities like Odissi exponent and environmentalist Priyambada Mohanty Hejmadi, veteran journalist and social activist Manorama Mohapatra, sand artist Sudarshan Pattnaik and many others.
The lack of interpreters for the hearing and speech impaired was another subject that was highlighted at the event. "There are only three certified interpreters of sign language," said Alka Joshi, who was translating the discussions at the event for the benefit of the participants.
Luv Sharma, the secretary of the central government's empowerment of persons with disabilities department, informed that a national institute for sign language training and research is coming up in New Delhi. It will start functioning in three months and will groom 1,000 interpreters in three years, he added. The event was hosted by Swabhiman, a well-known disability information and resource centre in the state.
