November 12, 1999
Washington, DC

An Indo–US Joint Working Group on disability rehabilitation held its first meeting in Washington on November 8-10, 1999. The Group has been set up under Indo-US bilateral agreement between the Ministry of Social Justice, Government of India and the National Institute of Disability Rehabilitation and Research (NIDRR), US Department of Education for a project on disability rehabilitation.

The Joint Working Group identified and agreed on the following areas of cooperation:

• Reaching out to disabled persons living in remote and rural
areas with quality aids and appliances.
• A modernization program for the Artificial Limbs
Manufacturing Corporation, a public sector undertaking.
• To establish a comprehensive information center for information on disability rehabilitation services.
• To facilitate setting up a National Institute for Multiple Disabilities in India.

The Joint Working Group will meet again in New Delhi in April 2000.