Thiruvananthapuram :

K A Chandrasekharan, a strong voice for the disabled and the first blind person to be appointed as lecturer by Kerala Public Service Commission  on merit, breathed his last at Medical College Hospital here on Wednesday. He was 75.

A native of  Veliyam in Kollam  district, Chandrasekharan had dedicated over fifty years of his life for welfare and rehabilitation of disabled persons. He was a driving force behind several national and regional initiatives for developing policies and programmes for the disabled.

The cremation will be held at 10:30am on Thursday, on the premises of his residence at Veliyam.

Late Dr Jagadamma was his wife. He is survived by three children-Felicia Chandrasekhar, Rishi  Chandrasekhar and Kavi C J.

He played an instrumental role in framing Persons With Disabilities Act, 1995. He served as a member of the working group constituted by the Planning Commission in preparation of plan documents consecutively for three five-year plans (9th, 10th and 11th) with regard to secondary and higher secondary education for the disabled.

For long, he had held various positions in Kerala  Federation of the Blind.

Chandrasekharan went as a delegate to the UN – ESCAP conference in Osaka, Japan which issued Osaka  Decade Declaration 2002, urging a barrier-free inclusive and right-based society for persons with disabilities.

He had served as the member of technical committee under Bureau of Indian Standards for granting standards and ISI mark to assistive devices for the handicapped.

Chandrasekharan was also a member of NCERT expert committee for developing national curriculum framework in schools, representing disability sector.

State president of the Kerala Federation of the Blind K J Vargheese, in his condolence message, remembered Chandrasekharan as a towering personality who relentlessly worked towards the upliftment of the disabled and said his demise left behind a deep vacuum in the society.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Thiruvananthapuram News / TNN / June 28th, 2018