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People with disabilities in Dadeldhura have been facing additional difficulties as the structures built by the state are not disability-friendly, depriving them of various state services and facilities. They have expressed that they have been neglected by the state as they have to face geographical difficulties, financial shortages, social neglect, and various other problems. Ganesh Aire of Amargadhi Municipality-1 Bheta said that although the social security allowance provided by the state has made daily life somewhat easier, he has to struggle to sustain for a whole month.

Rajendra Prasad Panta, Chairperson of the District Disabled Welfare Service Committee, Dadeldhura, highlighted that structural and social discrimination pose significant challenges for persons with disabilities. He pointed out that a lack of social awareness perpetuates attitudes of sympathy and pity toward individuals with disabilities, while societal neglect continues to manifest in various settings. Similarly, Subas Saud of Amaragadhi Municipality-3, Mada, raised concerns about the inaccessibility of government buildings and office chambers for persons with disabilities, emphasizing that the infrastructure remains far from being disability-friendly. He stated that people with disabilities must bring a companion when visiting government offices for official or other purposes. Reaching the office is already challenging, but meeting the office chief, who is often located on the upper floors, becomes an even greater difficulty. Most of the district’s main officials, including local level chiefs, the Chief District Officer, the district judge, the Chief of the Education Development and Coordination Unit, the Social Development Office Chief, the Land Revenue Officer, and the Chief of offices such as telecommunications, Nepal Electricity Authority, and so on have their workspace located on upper floors. People with disabilities have expressed grievances that this arrangement makes it difficult for them to access these officials. The Chairperson of the District Disabled Welfare Service Committee, Panta, pointed out that inconvenient stairs in government offices prevent persons with physical disabilities from easily accessing services. He explained that those who use crutches or disability sticks face difficulty in accessing office services. Despite many changes in the country, persons with disabilities still struggle to access services easily.

Persons with disabilities in the district do not even receive discounts on public transportation. Although the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2017 provides for a 50% discount on public transportation for persons with disabilities, Khagendra Pathak of Amaragadhi Municipality-5 expressed that they are still deprived of this service. He said that they are facing difficulties in public transportation. There are reserved seats for persons with disabilities, but we are not allowed to use them. He added that he has had to endure uncomfortable journeys while traveling from Dadeldhura to Dhangadhi. People with disabilities have demanded that local governments do more to support them, stating that the local government has not done enough. They have called for the implementation of employment-oriented programs to help make persons with disabilities self-reliant and encourage self-employment. Indra Rawal, the Chief of the Women and Children Department of Amaragadhi Municipality, stated that although there are challenges in creating plans due to insufficient budgets at the local level, the municipality has planned to run skill-based training programs to promote self-employment for persons with disabilities.

Chief District Officer Chomendra Neupane stated that the state has made provisions for reservations in public transportation and other places to ensure the rights of people with disabilities, and they should receive these facilities accordingly. There are 4,150 individuals with disabilities in the district.

Sherbahadur Bhandari