[soothing piano music]
Namaste, I am Raghav Bir Joshi.
My residence is in Kathmandu, Nepal.
During my childhood,
I attended Naxal Central Deaf School.
Initially, I had to walk to school,
but I eventually got a motorbike
and learned to ride it with the help of my colleagues.
[traffic noise]
One day, when my father left for work
I grabbed his bike
and began riding it
without him knowing.
My father didn't listen to me
when I told him that I can ride a bike
and that I can get a driving license.
[traffic noise]
Subsequently,
if caught by the police at night,
the situation becomes even more complicated.
We have been consistently
pushing and pressuring the government
to enforce the rights
guaranteed by the Constitution.
In Nepal,
some [Deaf] people ride motorcycles without a license,
causing issues during nighttime traffic checks by the police.
While some [Deaf] foreigners can ride without a license,
there are challenges for us.
And efforts are ongoing
to incorporate our rights into the legislation.
[laughter]
We are facing more challenges
as the government's workers have changed over time.
[contemplative piano music]
In 2011
led by the Deaf Federation,
we filed a complaint
at the Supreme Court.
The lawsuit lasted for eight months
without interruption.
The case highlighted the denial of licenses
to individuals with disabilities,
citing the principles of UNCRPD.
[lighty piano music]
In 2015,
the parliament passed a transportation system,
but the criteria set for roads disappointed us.
I’m also a member of the Constitutional Assembly,
and when my constitutional career began,
[speaking in Nepali]
I faced issues with speaking
since only parliamentarians were allowed to speak,
excluding others.
Actually,
they did give accommodations for sign language.
After six months,
the legislation had been modified,
and I was given the opportunity
to express my thoughts
on numerous issues
with the support of a sign language interpreter.
This was a huge accomplishment,
and I’m grateful for the encouragement.
[speaking in Nepali]
The Nepalese constitution provides free education in sign language
for the Deaf and Braille for the blind.
However,
our society encounters
challenges
because of the government's lack of concern
of providing Deaf people with driver's licenses.
[hopeful piano music]
Around 70 to 80 Deaf people
have permits,
but
others have difficulty
since appropriate testing isn't being conducted.
In spite of being a democracy,
Nepal remains behind almost 99 other nations
where abroad Deaf people can drive
with their licenses and permits.
It prompts the question:
Why does Nepal allow foreign Deaf people to drive
yet deny them licenses?
We need to make efforts
to close the gap.
Individuals who are Deaf
are able to drive vehicles
such as trucks,
helicopters,
forklifts,
and more in countries such as Australia,
America, Japan, and France.
Ten to fifteen Nepali Deaf people
have immigrated to America,
obtained permits,
and are now working as Uber cab drivers.
We're continuing to experience difficulties,
but perhaps
soon our efforts will pay off.
Driving has become easier
with the development of computerized
and new electronic vehicles.
We still have obstacles to overcome,
but we anticipate success eventually.
[uplifting music]