SHILLONG: Celebrating its mission to promote the general welfare and rights of people with disabilities, the Society for the Welfare of the Disabled (SWD) celebrated its 25th anniversary on Tuesday at the Mary Rice Centre for Special Education.
The society’s service initially began on a home-management basis with two children and has now expanded to cater to over 100 with visual impairments and those who have hearing, intellectual and physical disabilities.
With the plight of the disabled not so well known it was no surprise that local MDC Antonio War, speaking on the occasion as chief guest, admitted to only recently becoming more aware of the problems faced by people with disabilities.
“At first I was not serious about the suffering of the people with disabilities. I was not aware or concerned about the various problems faced by the differently-abled persons,” War said.
“It was only last year when some of my friends gave me a chance to work with the Khasi Disability Association (KDA) that I learnt of the various problems faced by them,” he said.
He also encouraged the citizens of the state to take a step to bring about a change.
“I will submit a resolution in the district council urging the House to place some funds for the institutions catering the differently-abled persons in the state,” War said adding, “Everybody should take small steps to initiate a new beginning.”
President of SWD, Millford Thangkhiew, said, “We aim to care for persons with disabilities and act as a guide and lobbying force to activate government and non-government organizations for the inclusion of persons with disabilities in society.”
The centre began its work in 1989 when Sr. Rosario Lopez, Sr. Theresa Kurian, Dominic Marak, Sony Gill and Elizabeth Pariat got together at Holy Cross Villa and decided to extend the then present services for the blind carried on at Arai Mile, Tura, to the Khasi and Jaintia Hills.