The Northeast has failed to promote inclusive education for persons with disabilities for want of proposals from the states in the region.

Former Rehabilitation Council of India chairperson Aloka Guha highlighted this point on Saturday during the technical session on promoting inclusive education in the Northeast region and development of inclusive curriculum during the two-day Northeast Disability Summit.

“There is lack of proposals from the northeastern states, which is a focus area for the Centre now. Lack of professionalism and other weaknesses, like frequent transfer of staff and poor documentation, has stagnated the region’s commitment to disability,” said Guha.

“The right to equality and other rights stand as a constitutional obligation of the education departments. Moreover, inclusive education will make such students capable of live independently,” said K.V.S. Rao, director of department of empowerment of persons with disabilities (divyangyan), in the Union ministry of social justice and empowerment.

“Persons with disabilities are still struggling in the higher education sector. A visually impaired student, who is in the first MA, is struggling to get enrolled for PhD for the lack of seats or lack of teachers,” said a participant in the summit, who is a teacher from Meghalaya.