Shillong: Thirty persons with disabilities (PwDs) have been identified as emerging entrepreneurs in Meghalaya, with eight of them receiving financial support of Rs 2.5 lakh each, while the state has also set up the Northeast’s first PwD-run Common Service Centre (CSC).
The announcement was made by Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma during the observance of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities at U Soso Tham Auditorium on Tuesday.
Highlighting the state’s shift from a charity-based approach to a rights-driven framework, the chief minister said Meghalaya is working to redefine public perception around disability.
He cited initiatives such as the Meghalaya Grassroots Music Project, which led to the formation of the Eastern Brook Band, a group of musicians with disabilities who now perform on national and global platforms.
Meghalaya’s first Disability Anthem, he added, has helped nurture a narrative of dignity and hope.
Sangma said an inclusive debate competition has opened college spaces to neurodivergent students, while several other initiatives are helping mainstream talent and participation.
He noted that the state organised its first blind football tournament, reinforcing values of solidarity and inclusion.
The chief minister also said Meghalaya has fully implemented the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, along with the corresponding state rules and policy.
So far, 41 government buildings and 84 government websites have been made accessible.
He highlighted the nationally recognised Meghalaya Sign Bank App, containing 10,000 sign-language entries, which is helping expand digital inclusion.
The state’s community-based rehabilitation network now covers all districts and 46 blocks, with 70% UDID coverage and 32,000 identity cards issued to PwDs.
Every year, 58 scholarships are awarded, benefiting 370 students to date, while District Resource Centres provide physiotherapy, speech therapy, audiology, and early intervention services across the state.
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Sangma said Meghalaya is the first state in the Northeast to embed mental well-being within governance, and he acknowledged PwDs who have excelled despite challenges, calling them “beacons of hope and inspiration.”
At the EMPOWERFEST 3.0 event, the chief minister emphasised the need to dismantle physical, digital, educational and economic barriers, urging citizens to “listen to silenced voices” and ensure every individual has a rightful place in society.
The programme also included the felicitation of outstanding PwDs, awards for the Inclusive Film Festival, the inauguration of the K-9 Sniffer Dogs Canine Unit, and the signing of an MoU with Sankaradeva College for a state-wide drugs survey.
