Organised by Swabhimaan, a Bhubaneshwar-based disability resource centre, the programme was intended to make the general public aware of the challenges faced by disabled people in everyday living. And this was indeed a novel way to send across the message through direct experience. The participants included people from all walks of life—politicians, traffic police, bureaucrats, journalists, professionals and college students. Disabled persons in Orissa are victims of apathy and neglect, a phenomenon common to all parts of the country. Despite the Central Government’s notification making it compulsory on the part of State governments to set up Disability Commissions, only a few States have actually appointed a Commissioner. This directive is in accordance with Chapter 12 of "The Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995.

Says Dr. Sruti Mohapatra, a disabled activist: "It is felt that the State Government, after considerable delay, burdened the State Women and Child Development Commissioner with this additional responsibility". She adds that according to her own experience (she is confined to a wheel chair), the disabled have been neglected in every field. In her capacity as Secretary of Swabhimaan, Dr. Mohapatra has sent a letter to legislators with an appeal to raise the issue of setting up an independent Disability Commission in the current session of the State Assembly.

In a similar exercise a few years ago, several disabled activists held a protest march (sitting in wheelchairs) near the Assembly gate and later submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister. Consequently, access ramps were built in some public places to facilitate movement of wheelchairs.

Going by conservative estimates, Orissa’s disabled population numbers 23 lakh. One of the main problems faced by the disabled is the long and arduous process of getting a disability certificate, a pre-requisite for availing concessions and facilities offered to them. A recent study conducted at the Akhyam Sahayat Kendra (Disability Aid Cell) reveals that rather than help, the applicants are troubled and made to run from pillar-to-post before a certificate is issued.

Set up by the State Red Cross at the Capital Hospital, the Sahayat Kendra functions once a week on Wednesdays. About 60 to 100 applicants visit the centre every week from the capital and neighbouring towns of Nayagarh, Khurdha and Jatni. Applicants have to make several trips, submit a host of documents (residential certificate from the tehsildar, ration card/BPL card, etc), wait for long hours and virtually beg for a certificate. The authorising board comprising five specialists and the Chief Medical Officer is supposed to meet every first and third Wednesday to review cases. However, due to various problems, the Board is unable to meet and hence, the concerned specialists examine applicants and later the CMO verifies and issues certificates.