‘Direct Government to provide sign language interpreters,’ activist tells Supreme Court
The Hindu
They should be able to learn news on their own
A disability rights activist and advocate has moved the Supreme Court to direct the Government to provide sign language interpreters during briefings of Heads of States, Ministers and officials.
Advocate M. Karpagam, a disabled lawyer practising at the Madras High Court, said disabled people have an equal right to information and communication. They should be able to learn the news on their own to analyse and take their own decisions based on the information.
The plea said the disabled should be able to access the official press briefings of Ministers and Heads of States. It was their statutory right under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.
The election authorities are gearing up for the counting of votes cast in the simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and Assembly seats in Andhra Pradesh, scheduled to be held on June 4. The Collectors and Election Officers of Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli and Alluri Sitharama Raju (ASR) districts said on May 23 (Thursday) that their teams were ready for the counting of votes.
Responding to the prolonged water scarcity, the residents of the area took to the streets in protest on Wednesday. The protest, which drew attention to their plight, stopped only after the intervention of the police. It was not until 1.30 p.m. that a 4000-litre tanker was finally delivered by BWSSB, providing relief to the water-starved residents.