Children with disability should be encouraged to pursue their strengths: Judge

Encourage children with disabilities to pursue their strengths instead of focusing on their limitations, Principal District and Sessions Judge B. Sai Kalyan Chakravarthi said, after inaugurating a legal awareness seminar organised by the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) in Guntur on Saturday.

The programme was conducted as part of the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) and State Legal Services Authority calendar of activities, in coordination with the Department for the Welfare of Persons with Disabilities, Transgenders and Senior Citizens. The seminar focused on the NALSA Legal Services Scheme for Persons with Mental Illness and Disabilities, 2015, and the NALSA Legal Services Scheme for Persons with Mental Illness and Intellectual Disabilities, 2024. DLSA secretary Syed Ziyauddin coordinated the programme.

Lighting the ceremonial lamp, Mr. Chakravarthi said the DLSA was committed to spreading legal awareness, providing free legal aid to the needy, promoting speedy settlement of disputes through Lok Adalats and implementing various NALSA schemes. He urged parents of children with disabilities to identify their talents and encourage them to excel with confidence rather than becoming discouraged by physical limitations.

First Additional District Judge V.A.L. Satyavathi and Family Court Judge Sheikh Sikander Basha stressed the need to ensure eligible children received government financial assistance, hearing aids and wheelchairs. They said children with disabilities should never be underestimated and could achieve success with proper support.

Mr. Ziyauddin explained several NALSA welfare schemes aimed at protecting the rights of vulnerable sections and strengthening access to justice. Hearing aids, wheelchairs and tricycles were distributed to beneficiaries by the Principal District Judge. The Judge also inaugurated a week-long mediation awareness campaign, urging litigants to utilise mediation for faster and amicable settlement of disputes.