[PDFlist] Chairperson of Disabled Peoples International Javed Abidi passed away

[Lanieta Tuimabu]

Deepest  condolences , from The  Fiji Disable  Peoples federation,
may your  soul  rest in peace.

Lanieta Tuimabu
Office  Manager
Fiji Disable peoples  federation
On 3/5/18, savina nongebatu <savinafnongebatu at gmail.com> wrote:
> On behalf of our dpo- people with disabilities Solomon Islands we send our
> deepest condolences to his family. may he rest in peace
> Regards
> Savina
>
> On Mar 5, 2018 10:39, "Leane Mapusua" <nofomap1 at yahoo.co.nz> wrote:
>
>> A stanched, and dedicated his life and energy for the betterment of PWD
>> at
>> every community of the world. You RIP brother 🌷
>>
>> With sorrows and condolences
>>
>> Regards
>> Nofo
>>
>>
>>
>> Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone
>>
>> On Monday, March 5, 2018, 9:03 AM, Frank Hall-Bentick <
>> fhallbentick at optusnet.com.au> wrote:
>>
>> *New Delhi*: Noted disability rights activist Javed Abidi passed away
>> today following a heart attack. He was 53. A former civil servant, Abidi
>> was one of the most authoritative voices in the field of disability
>> rights
>> and believed in engaging the government for ensuring betterment of the
>> persons with disabilities.
>>
>> Abidi was also a director of the cross disability advocacy organisation,
>> the National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled, and had
>> championed the cause of the PwDs by taking up key issues pertaining to
>> them.
>>
>> Over the years, the organisation has worked on important issues related
>> to
>> PwDs such as encouraging their employment; increasing public awareness on
>> disability issues; empowering  disabled people through appropriate
>> legislation; equipping disabled people with educational opportunities;
>> and
>> ensuring easy and convenient access to all public places.
>>
>> Abidi was also chairperson at Disabled People’s International (DPI) and
>> raised the problems faced by PwDs at several international meets and
>> conferences. He had a lot of experience on international best practices
>> for
>> the PwDs as he had studied at Wright State University in the United
>> States
>> after doing his initial higher studies at Aligarh Muslim University. He
>> was
>> also the convener at Disabled Rights Group (DRG).
>>
>> In India, Abidi had been at the forefront of creating a barrier free
>> environment for all, including the PwDs. He was also involved in
>> consultations with the Centre and state governments on issues of policy
>> formulation as well are creating enabling environments for the PwDs.
>>
>> The news of Abidi’s death was broken by National Association of the Deaf,
>> India via facebook. It described the day as a “sorrow day”.
>>
>> Soon, tributes began flowing from the disability sector. Satendra Singh,
>> an associate professor at the University College of Medical Sciences,
>> Delhi, and a disability rights activist himself, in a post said:
>>
>> “A good heart has stopped beating, a good soul ascended to heaven. We
>> part
>> with our beloved leader in pain. An era ends with Javed Abidi ji.”
>>
>> Another disability rights activist, lawyer and member of National
>> Building
>> Code, Subhash Chandra Vashisht, while terming Abidi’s demise as
>> “shocking”
>> wrote:
>>
>> “His contributions to bring disability in the mainstream agenda were
>> crucial especially at a time when disability was not even looked at as a
>> subject for media news! He was full of enthusiasm and had long plans to
>> play a role in implementation of the new RPWD Act. Two days ago he
>> recorded
>> his last interview with radio Udaan! Truly saddened! May almighty rest
>> his
>> soul in eternal peace!”
>>
>> An ardent nationalist, Abidi held very liberal views when it came to the
>> issue of playing the national anthem in cinema halls. He for one believed
>> that while such issues should not be thrust upon the people, it was every
>> person’s duty to show respect to the national anthem.
>>
>> Abidi was also a very strong voice in all sort of policy and social
>> issues
>> related to PwDs. He worked extensively to see to it that legislative
>> rights
>> and economic opportunities became a reality for persons with disability
>> in
>> India. He had also establishing partnerships with business and the
>> government to create equitable employment of the disabled.
>>
>> But while doing so Abidi also brought together the disability groups to
>> set up an informed national lobby. He believed in working with the system
>> but never shied away from criticising it when it went wrong.
>>
>> “I do not believe in criticising for the sake of it. After all you have
>> to
>> working within the system in order to get the best out of it,” he once
>> told *The
>> Wire*, while the issue of violation of the rights of PwD passengers at
>> airports was being discussed.
>>
>> Similarly, when it came to the Smart Cities Mission, Abidi was the one
>> who
>> raised the issue of how the government had not incorporated the global
>> practices in the overall design of things. He was also the person who
>> pointed out how government agencies were making a mockery of Prime
>> Minister Narendra Modi’s promises on accessibility by not revamping their
>> sites.
>>
>> In Abidi’s passing away, a very reasonable, grounded and knowledgeable
>> voice has been lost.
>>
>> https://thewire.in/229541/noted-disability-rights-
>> activist-javed-abidi-dies-heart-attack-53/
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> http://www.disabledpeoplesinternational.org/
>>
>>
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>


-- 
Lanieta Tuimabu