In a pioneering step towards building an inclusive and empathetic care system, the Office of the State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, in collaboration with the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, organised the first-ever Awareness and Sensitisation Session for Caretaker Agencies and Home Nursing Schools in Goa.
This initiative was launched in response to multiple complaints received from persons with disabilities (PwDs) regarding inadequate and inappropriate support by caretakers.
Recognising the urgent need for awareness, renowned writer, artist, and disability rights advocate Fredrika Menezes proposed the concept of a focussed training session to address these critical concerns.
The event brought together 15 participants representing various caretaker agencies and home nursing institutions from across Goa. The session featured insightful addresses and lived experiences shared by prominent voices in the disability sector.
Prakash Kamat, ex-Senior Editor of The Hindu, and Member of the State Advisory Board for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, emphasised the importance of emotional intelligence, accessibility, and inclusion in caregiving. Fredrika Menezes delivered a passionate talk on dignity, empathy, and the need to view persons with disabilities not as patients, but as individuals with full human rights and emotions.
Mahadev Sawant, Executive Member of the National Association for the Blind (NAB) Goa and Advisory Member of the State Commission for Persons with Disabilities, highlighted the specific challenges faced by visually impaired individuals and called for greater sensitivity from caregivers. He also coordinated the session.
Patrick D’Souza, President of the Disability Alliance and a person with muscular dystrophy, shared a deeply personal account of neglect by an untrained caregiver, illustrating the severe consequences of insensitive or uninformed support.
Muskan Singh, Indian Sign Language (ISL) shared guidance on how to effectively communicate with Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals. The session sparked meaningful dialogue on the mutual responsibilities of caregivers and service users, emphasising the importance of trust, empathy, and tailored support. Participants unanimously agreed that caretakers must be equipped with both technical skills and emotional understanding to provide truly inclusive care.
Key outcomes of the session included a collective commitment by agencies to integrate disability sensitisation into their training curricula and a proposal to establish a unified, government-regulated platform for caretaker agencies to ensure service quality, accountability, and consistency across the state.
State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, Guruprasad Pawaskar, Director Varsha Naik, and Secretary Taha Haaziq joined the session and interacted with participants.
Welcoming all attendees, the Commissioner Pawaskar remarked, “This is just the beginning. We are committed to organising similar sensitisation sessions for all caretaker agencies and home nursing schools to ensure persons with disabilities receive the best possible care.”
This sensitisation session represents a significant milestone in the journey towards a more compassionate and inclusive Goa—one where persons with disabilities are treated with the dignity, independence, and respect they rightfully deserve.
The event concluded with a vote of thanks and an open exchange of feedback and suggestions. Participants expressed deep appreciation for this timely and much-needed initiative, recommending that such sessions be conducted regularly in Goa.
