Our Founder and Executive Director, Nidhi Goyal, was invited to facilitate a short training session on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, during the workshop “Demographic Transition in Odisha: Reimagining the Future of SSEPD,” held on 16 December 2025 in Bhubaneswar. The in-person workshop was organised by the Department of Social Security and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (SSEPD), Odisha in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Odisha, and was attended by 34 SSEPD officials at Lyfe Hotel.
Nidhi’s session was in-depth, focused on building a practical understanding of the RPD Act, 2016, grounding it in its international origins under the UNCRPD, 2006, and covering each section of the Act thoroughly, with definitions of each disability, key concepts and provisions.
Some of these key provisions included legal capacity, reasonable accommodation, universal design, accessibility, community inclusion, and enforcement, with special attention to the rights of women, children, and persons with high support needs. Nidhi emphasised the responsibility of government officials to internalise these principles for effective implementation.
The session was well received and followed by an engaging Q&A, covering issues such as inclusion, temporary and age-related disabilities, the importance of UDID access, and the need for greater public awareness of the Act to leverage for inclusion. Nidhi cited examples of the landmark CCPD judgement that fined private sector organisations for non-compliance of accessibility, and stressed that simplifying certification processes and addressing stigma, especially around ageing and assistive devices are critical to advancing inclusion and realising the intent of the RPD Act.
