New Delhi: To eliminate social stigma around disability, society needs to have good examples and role models. I hope I can continue to contribute towards this end, said Ira Singhal, 2014 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer and the topper of her batch, during Bureaucrats India dialogue series on 'Inclusive Bureaucracy and Good Governance.’

Presently posted as a Deputy Commissioner in Revenue Department, Government of Delhi, Ira said: “Having worked for literally twenty hours a day in the corporate sector made me realise that if I dedicate this huge time in the government sector I can really make a difference in people’s lives. I always wanted to impact lives in a meaningful way.”

Talking about her duties as the brand ambassador of Accessible Election, Election Commission of India, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Ministry of Women and Child Development, Ira said, who has served in different capacities in Delhi Government over the years, said: “It gives a larger voice to spread awareness and hence empowers the people with disabilities and women in general.”

“We have seen a huge growth in the overall scenario of women actively taking part and perceived in the workforce. From metros, it is slowly trickling down to the semi-urban and Tier-II cities. But for the people with disabilities, we still have a long way to go. It is not only about the infrastructure and accessibility but the mindset of society. True, we have come quite a way but still equality has not been achieved,” said Ira.

Sharing her experience about the project in North MCD, a first of its kind, where a 12-hour crèche-cum-day-care facility was provided in government schools, she said that this project benefited small children as well as the working mothers.

“We saw a huge drop off in the working women stats as there was no one to look after the kids in their absence. The children left behind at home when mothers were at work were indulging in drug abuse and child labour,” she said.

“We rescued 340 children and bonded labourers in my first posting as SDM, Alipur in North Delhi district. Then I realised the larger picture and need of this project,” she added.

In reply to a question, Ira said: “Until we got the reservation for disabled people, it was very tough to get into bureaucracy as we don’t have an accessible education ecosystem. We also need to make our citizens aware of their duties towards empowerment through exclusion.”

Talking about the Indian Sign Language (ISL), Ira said that it is still under developed but the moment it becomes widespread, ‘we can see a huge change.’ “With Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement to make ISL a part of the curriculum, we expect some ray of hope,” she said. /BI/