{"id":340574,"date":"2025-06-16T18:18:38","date_gmt":"2025-06-16T12:48:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/?p=340574"},"modified":"2025-06-17T11:22:37","modified_gmt":"2025-06-17T05:52:37","slug":"persons-with-disabilities-in-india-explained-pointwise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/persons-with-disabilities-in-india-explained-pointwise\/","title":{"rendered":"Persons with Disabilities in India- Explained Pointwise"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Persons with disabilities (PwD) face challenges on multiple fronts &#8211; one of them is related to lack of job opportunities. The private sector does not hire them because of their disabilities &amp; Public Service Commissions are not only unfair towards them but also refuse to acknowledge the existence of certain disabilities.<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-318430\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Persons-with-Disabilities-in-India.png?resize=750%2C500&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Persons with Disabilities in India\" width=\"750\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Persons-with-Disabilities-in-India.png?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Persons-with-Disabilities-in-India.png?resize=1024%2C682&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Persons-with-Disabilities-in-India.png?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Persons-with-Disabilities-in-India.png?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>In this article we will look at the status of persons with disabilities in India. We will also look at the provisions for disabled in India and the challenges faced by them. We will also delve into the way forward for their betterment. <strong>Persons with Disabilities in India<\/strong><\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; border-style: solid;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 100%; text-align: center;\"><strong>Table of Content<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 100%;\"><a href=\"#toc1\">Who are classified as Persons with Disabilities? What is the status of differently abled people in India?<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"#toc2\">What are the provisions for accessibility of persons with disabilities in India?<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"#toc3\">What other provisions have been made for persons with disabilities in India?<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"#toc4\">What are the Challenges faced by the people suffering from disability?<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"#toc5\">What are the key highlights of the SC ruling on accessibility for disabled?<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"#toc6\">What are the SC guidelines to prevent stereotyping and discrimination of Persons with Disabilities?<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"#toc7\">What Should be the Way Forward?<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color: #000000; text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><a id=\"toc1\"><\/a>Who are classified as Persons with Disabilities? What is the status of differently abled people in India?<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Persons with Disabilities:<\/strong>\u00a0According to <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">The<\/span> <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities<\/span> (UN CRPD), Persons with disabilities are the ones who have <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">long-term physical<\/span>, <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">mental<\/span>, <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">intellectual<\/span> or <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">sensory impairments<\/span>, which <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">hinder<\/span> <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">their full and effective participation in society<\/span> on an equal basis with others.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016<\/strong>, uses the same definition as the UN CRPD. It further defines &#8216;<strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Person with Benchmark Disability<\/span><\/strong>&#8216; as &#8216;<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">A person with not less than 40% of a specified disability<\/span>&#8216;.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Expansion of Disabilities in India-<\/strong> The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 has <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">expanded the types of disabilities<\/span> from<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"> 7<\/span> (under the Person with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995) to <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">21<\/span>. The act also provides the Union Government <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">the power to add more types of disabilities<\/span>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure id=\"attachment_316316\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-316316\" style=\"width: 936px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-316316 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Disabilities.png?resize=750%2C417&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Disabilities\" width=\"750\" height=\"417\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Disabilities.png?w=936&amp;ssl=1 936w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Disabilities.png?resize=300%2C167&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/Disabilities.png?resize=768%2C427&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-316316\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Created By Forum IAS<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Data on Disability in India:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>a. Number of Persons with Disability in India:<\/strong>\u00a0In India, there are around <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">26.8 million<\/span> persons with disabilities. It constitutes around <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">2.21% of India\u2019s total population<\/span> (2011 Census). There are around <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">14.9 million men<\/span> (2.41% of men) and <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">11.9 million women<\/span> (2.01% of women) with disabilities.\u00a0Disabilities are <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">highest<\/span> in the age group <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">10-19 years<\/span> (46.2 lakh people). <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">69%<\/span> (18 million) <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">of persons<\/span> with disabilities reside in rural areas.<\/p>\n<p>However, a 2019 WHO survey found severe disability prevalence among Indian adults to be 16%.<\/p>\n<p><strong>b. Disability % distribution: <\/strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">20% <span style=\"color: #333333;\">of persons<\/span><\/span> with disabilities in India have a <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">disability in movement<\/span>, <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">19%<\/span> have <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">visual impairment<\/span>, <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">19%<\/span> have a <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">hearing impairment<\/span> and <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">8%<\/span> have <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">multiple disabilities<\/span>.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_316319\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-316319\" style=\"width: 832px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-316319 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/PWDs-Data.png?resize=750%2C610&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Type of Disability\" width=\"750\" height=\"610\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/PWDs-Data.png?w=832&amp;ssl=1 832w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/PWDs-Data.png?resize=300%2C244&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/PWDs-Data.png?resize=768%2C625&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-316319\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Created By Forum IAS<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color: #000000; text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><a id=\"toc2\"><\/a>What are the provisions for accessibility of persons with disabilities in India?<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<table style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; border-style: solid;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 35.7289%;\"><strong>India as a signatory to the\u00a0<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>United Nations Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 64.2711%;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Article 9 of the CRPD<\/span> mandates measures to ensure equal access to physical spaces, transportation, communication, and public services.<br \/>\nIndia, <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">as a signatory<\/span> to the United Nations Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), is<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"> committed to promoting accessibility<\/span>.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 35.7289%;\"><strong>Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act 2016<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 64.2711%;\">The RPwD Act aligns with the CRPD\u2019s objectives, and seeks to <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">ensure<\/span> a <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">dignified<\/span>,<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"> discrimination-free<\/span>, and <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">equitable life for persons with disabilities<\/span>. The <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">RPwD Rules (2017)<\/span> were introduced to establish accessibility standards.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color: #000000; text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><a id=\"toc3\"><\/a>What other provisions have been made for persons with disabilities in India?<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Constitutional Provisions:<\/strong><\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; border-style: solid; height: 441px;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr style=\"height: 90px;\">\n<td style=\"width: 25.0001%; height: 90px; text-align: left;\"><strong>Preamble<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 74.9999%; height: 90px;\">The Preamble of the Indian Constitution seeks to secure <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">social<\/span>, <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">economic<\/span> and <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">political justice<\/span> to <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">all citizens<\/span> (<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">which includes persons with disabilities<\/span>) along with equality of status and of opportunity.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 90px;\">\n<td style=\"width: 25.0001%; height: 90px; text-align: left;\"><strong>Fundamental Rights<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 74.9999%; height: 90px;\">Dignity of the individual is the fundamental notion behind all the fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution. <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">All fundamental rights are available to the persons with disabilities<\/span>.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 180px;\">\n<td style=\"width: 25.0001%; height: 180px; text-align: left;\"><strong>Directive Principles<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 74.9999%; height: 180px;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Article 41<\/span> <\/strong>exhorts the State to make <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">effective provisions<\/span> for <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">securing the right to work<\/span>, <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">education<\/span> and <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">to public assistance<\/span> in case of unemployment, old age, sickness and disability.<br \/>\n<strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Article 46<\/span><\/strong> provides that the State shall <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">promote educational and economic interests of the weaker sections<\/span> of the people and protect them social injustice and all forms of exploitation.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 81px;\">\n<td style=\"width: 25.0001%; height: 81px; text-align: left;\"><strong>Schedules of the Constitution<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 74.9999%; height: 81px;\"><strong>&#8216;Relief of the Disabled&#8217;<\/strong> is a <strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">State Subject<\/span><\/strong> (<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Entry 9 in List II<\/span>) under the Seventh Schedule.<br \/>\n<strong>&#8216;Welfare of the Disabled and mentally retarded&#8217;<\/strong> is listed as <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">item 26 in the <strong>Eleventh Schedule<\/strong><\/span> and <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">item 09 in the <strong>Twelfth Schedule<\/strong><\/span>.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>Legal Provisions:<\/strong><\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; border-style: solid;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 26.6063%;\"><strong>The Mental Health Act, 2017<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 73.3937%;\">It replaced the Mental Health Act, 1987. It has been passed with the objective to provide for <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">mental healthcare<\/span> and <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">related services for persons with mental illness<\/span> and <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">to protect<\/span>, <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">promote<\/span> and <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">fulfill their rights<\/span>.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 26.6063%;\"><strong>The Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 73.3937%;\">This Act came into force in April 2017, and <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">replaced<\/span> the <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Persons with Disabilities<\/span> (<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Equal Opportunities<\/span>, <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Protection of Rights<\/span> and <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Full Participation<\/span>) <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Act<\/span>, <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">1995<\/span>. It fulfils the obligations to the <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">United National Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities<\/span> (UNCRPD).<br \/>\nThe Act has several provisions for the benefit of persons with disabilities.<br \/>\nIt has <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">increased the magnitude of reservation<\/span> for Persons with Disabilities from <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">3% to 4% in government jobs<\/span> and from <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">3% to 5% in higher education institutes<\/span>.<br \/>\nIt stresses to <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">ensure accessibility in public buildings<\/span> in a prescribed time frame.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 26.6063%;\"><strong>The Rehabilitation Council of India Act, 1992<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 73.3937%;\">It provided statutory status to the <strong>Rehabilitation Council of India<\/strong> (RCI, established in 1986). The mandate given to RCI is to:<br \/>\na. <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Regulate and monitor services<\/span> given to persons with disability.<br \/>\nb. <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Standardize syllabi<\/span> and to maintain a <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Central Rehabilitation Register<\/span> of all qualified professionals and personnel working in the field of Rehabilitation and Special Education.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 26.6063%;\"><strong>The National Trust for the Welfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities Act, 1999<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 73.3937%;\">It has been enacted with the objective to provide for the constitution of a body at the National level for the <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Welfare of Persons with Autism<\/span>, <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Cerebral Palsy<\/span>, <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Mental Retardation<\/span> and <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Multiple Disabilities<\/span>.<br \/>\nThe trust aims to <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">provide total care to persons<\/span> with <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">mental retardation<\/span> and <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">cerebral palsy<\/span> and also manage the properties bequeathed to the Trust.<br \/>\nThe Trust strives to enable persons with disability to live independently by:<br \/>\n(a) <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Promoting measures for their protection<\/span> in case of death of their parents.<br \/>\n(b) <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Evolving procedures for appointment<\/span> of their guardians and trustees.<br \/>\n(c) Facilitating equal opportunities in society.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>Welfare Programmes:<\/strong><\/p>\n<table style=\"height: 480px; width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; border-style: solid;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr style=\"height: 150px;\">\n<td style=\"width: 26.506%; height: 150px;\"><strong>Accessible India Campaign<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 73.494%; height: 150px;\">It aims for creation of Accessible Environment for PwDs. The aim of the Campaign is to make a <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">barrier free<\/span> and <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">conducive environment for Persons with Disabilities<\/span> all over the country. The campaign targets three separate verticals for achieving universal accessibility (a) <strong>Built up environment<\/strong>; (b) <strong>Transportation ecosystem<\/strong>; (c) <strong>Information &amp; Communication Technology (ICT) ecosystem<\/strong>.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 120px;\">\n<td style=\"width: 26.506%; height: 120px;\"><strong>Deendayal Disabled Rehabilitation Scheme (DDRS)<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 73.494%; height: 120px;\">DDRS aims to create an <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">enabling environment<\/span> to <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">ensure equal opportunities<\/span>, <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">equity<\/span>, <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">social justice<\/span> and <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">empowerment of persons with disabilities<\/span>. Under DDRS, NGOs are provided with financial assistance for running their projects for the rehabilitation of persons with disability.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 180px;\">\n<td style=\"width: 26.506%; height: 180px;\"><strong>Assistance to Disabled Persons for Purchase of Aids and Appliances (ADIP)<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 73.494%; height: 180px;\">Its aim is to <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">assist the needy disabled persons<\/span> in procuring <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">durable<\/span> and <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">scientifically manufactured appliances<\/span>. It is implemented by <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">NGOs<\/span>, National Institutes under the Ministry of Social Justice &amp; Empowerment, and <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">ALIMCO<\/span> (a PSU that manufactures artificial limbs). It helps promote their <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">physical<\/span>, <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">social<\/span>, and <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">psychological rehabilitation<\/span> by reducing the effects of disabilities and enhancing their economic potential.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 30px;\">\n<td style=\"width: 26.506%; height: 30px;\"><strong>Indian Sign Language Research and Training Centre<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 73.494%; height: 30px;\">It promotes the use of sign language and also to develop human resources in the field.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 26.506%;\"><strong>National Institute of Mental Health Rehabilitation (NIMHR)<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 73.494%;\">It aims to work towards <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">capacity building<\/span> in the field of <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">mental health rehabilitation<\/span>. It also aims to<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"> develop community-based rehabilitation protocols<\/span> for mainstreaming persons with mental illness who have been successfully cured.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 26.506%;\"><strong>Divyang Protocol and Mission Vatsalya of Haryana<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 73.494%;\">The Haryana Department of Women and Child Development implements the <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Divyang Protocol<\/span> and <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Mission Vatsalya<\/span> to promote disability inclusion.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color: #000000; text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><a id=\"toc4\"><\/a>What are the Challenges faced by the people suffering from disability?<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>1. Social Challenges: <\/strong>The following are the challenges faced by the people suffering from disability in India:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Discrimination and Inequality:<\/strong> They face several types of discrimination like reluctance to hire PwDs for employment.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Loss of Social Status:<\/strong> Lack of opportunities results in lack of employment, money etc.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Inhuman Treatment:<\/strong> People suffering from mental illness or mental retardation are subject to social exclusion<\/li>\n<li><strong>Loss of Identity:<\/strong> The identity of PwDs becomes linked with their disability and become a subject of pity.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>2. Barriers to Education:<\/strong>\u00a0There is <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">lack of special schools<\/span> and <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">trained teachers<\/span> for children with learning disabilities. Persons with <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">visual impairment<\/span> <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">lack education materials<\/span> for their studies. Children with <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">learning disabilities<\/span> are shunned and not admitted to schools.<\/p>\n<p><strong>3. Lack of adequate Healthcare facilities:<\/strong>\u00a0The persons with disabilities lack quality healthcare facilities which further marginalizes them.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_316322\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-316322\" style=\"width: 935px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-316322 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/PwD-healthcare-barriers.png?resize=750%2C476&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"PwD healthcare barriers\" width=\"750\" height=\"476\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/PwD-healthcare-barriers.png?w=935&amp;ssl=1 935w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/PwD-healthcare-barriers.png?resize=300%2C191&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/PwD-healthcare-barriers.png?resize=768%2C488&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-316322\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Created By- Forum IAS<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>4. Prevalence of Unemployment:<\/strong>\u00a0Disabled persons have lower employment rates. Private sector is reluctant to hire PwDs due to stereotypes and stigma. It <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">impacts their ability to be financially independent<\/span> and <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">be self-sufficient<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>5. Accessibility:<\/strong>\u00a0Lack of appropriate disabled-friendly physical infrastructure creates accessibility issues for persons suffering with disabilities. <strong>For ex-<\/strong> <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">PwDs find it difficult to commute in public transportation, or access buildings<\/span>.<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color: #000000; text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><a id=\"toc5\"><\/a>What are the key highlights of the SC ruling on accessibility for disabled?<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The Supreme Court noted a lack of enforcement mechanisms under the RPwD rules. The SC held that the rules offered self-regulatory guidelines.<\/p>\n<p>A report by the National Academy of Legal Studies and Research (NALSAR) has also highlighted the gaps in accessibility for persons with disabilities in India.<\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; border-style: solid; background-color: #f5f7e4;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 100%; text-align: center;\" colspan=\"2\"><strong>Highlights of the NALSAR Report<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 25.3593%;\"><strong>Lack of Transport accessibility<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 74.6407%;\">There is huge interstate variation in the transport accessibility in India. In Delhi, <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">3,775 low-floor CNG buses were available for accessible travel<\/span>, while Tamil Nadu lagged significantly, <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">with only 1,917 out of 21,669 buses accessible<\/span> for disabled travelling.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 25.3593%;\"><strong>Intersectionality of accessibility with other challenges<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 74.6407%;\">The report noted that<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"> accessibility challenges were compounded by factors such as caste, gender, and region<\/span>. For instance, job portals often exclude visually impaired users, and lack of sign language recognition is disadvantageous for individuals with hearing and speech impairments.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>The SC ruling on accessibility for the disabled stems from a <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">2005 writ petition filed by Rajive Raturi<\/span>, a visually impaired petitioner advocating for safety and accessibility in public spaces.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Key highlights of the ruling:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>a. Mandatory Rules to be drafted by the Central government:<\/strong>\u00a0The Court declared <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Rule 15(1) of the RPwD Rules ultra vires<\/span>. The court held that the RPwD rules <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">only provided recommendatory guidelines<\/span>. It directed the Union government to <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">frame enforceable<\/span>, \u201c<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">non-negotiable<\/span>\u201d <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">standards within three months<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>b. Stakeholder Consultation:<\/strong>\u00a0The government must consult stakeholders, including <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">NALSAR\u2019s Centre for Disability Studies<\/span> (CDS), while drafting the rules.<\/p>\n<p><strong>c. Compliance and Penalties:<\/strong>\u00a0The SC has directed that <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">non-compliance with accessibility standards would be penalized<\/span>. The penalty will include withholding completion certificates and imposing fines.<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color: #000000; text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><a id=\"toc6\"><\/a>What are the SC guidelines to prevent stereotyping and discrimination of Persons with Disabilities?<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>1. Avoiding Derogatory Language:<\/strong>\u00a0The court has emphasized on avoiding words that cultivate institutional discrimination, such as &#8216;<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">cripple<\/span>&#8216; and &#8216;<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">spastic<\/span>&#8216;. These words contribute to <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">negative self-image<\/span> and <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">perpetuate<\/span> <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">discriminatory attitudes<\/span>. Also, language and words that individualize the impairment and overlook disabling social barriers, like &#8216;<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">afflicted<\/span>&#8216;, &#8216;<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">suffering<span style=\"color: #333333;\">&#8216;<\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #333333;\">\u00a0<\/span>and &#8216;<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">victim<\/span>&#8216;, should be avoided.<\/p>\n<p><strong>2. Focus on Accurate Representation:<\/strong>\u00a0The court has held that stereotyping of differently abled persons in visual media and films must end. Creators must focus on providing an <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">accurate representation of disabilities <\/span>rather than mocking them. Creators should practice the principle of &#8220;<em><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">nothing about us<\/span>, <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">without us<\/span><\/strong><\/em>,&#8221; and involve persons with disabilities in the <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">creation and assessment of visual media content<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>3. Creative Freedom vs Marginalizing Portrayals:<\/strong>\u00a0The court has clarified that <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">creative freedom<\/span> of filmmakers <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">cannot include<\/span> the <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">freedom to lampoon<\/span>, <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">stereotype<\/span>, <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">misrepresent<\/span> or <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">disparage<\/span> marginalized communities. If the overall message of the content infringes with the rights of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs), then the right of creative freedom will not be protected.<\/p>\n<p><strong>4. Collaboration with Disability Advocacy Groups:<\/strong>\u00a0The court has emphasized on <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">collaboration with disability advocacy groups<\/span> to gain insights and guidance on respectful and accurate portrayals. The <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">training programmes<\/span> for writers, directors, producers, and actors <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">must be developed<\/span> to emphasize the impact of portrayals on public perceptions and experiences of PwDs.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_316324\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-316324\" style=\"width: 1024px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-316324 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/SC-guidelines-to-prevent-stereotyping-of-persons-with-disabilities.png?resize=750%2C743&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"SC guidelines to prevent stereotyping of persons with disabilities\" width=\"750\" height=\"743\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/SC-guidelines-to-prevent-stereotyping-of-persons-with-disabilities.png?w=1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/SC-guidelines-to-prevent-stereotyping-of-persons-with-disabilities.png?resize=300%2C297&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/SC-guidelines-to-prevent-stereotyping-of-persons-with-disabilities.png?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/SC-guidelines-to-prevent-stereotyping-of-persons-with-disabilities.png?resize=768%2C761&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-316324\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Created By Forum IAS<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color: #000000; text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><a id=\"toc7\"><\/a>What Should be the Way Forward?<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>1. Accommodation and Inclusion:<\/strong>\u00a0There is a need to<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"> identify opportunities<\/span> to better accommodate people with disabilities in Society- like <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">providing better education<\/span>, <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">equal opportunity in job<\/span>, and <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">initiating them to take active part in social and political decision<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>2. Greater Social Sensitization:<\/strong>\u00a0The focus must be on overcoming stigma is necessary in order to facilitate better integration of Persons with Disabilities into the mainstream. People need to be<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"> educated and be sensitized about the challenges faced by PwDs<\/span>. <strong>For ex-<\/strong> Use of the term \u201c<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Divyangjan<\/span>\u201d to address persons with disabilities.<\/p>\n<p><strong>3. Preventive Measures for early prevention of disabilities:<\/strong>\u00a0Scaling up <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">The Comprehensive Newborn Screening (CNS) programme<\/span> under the <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram<\/span> for early detection and prevention of disabilities.<\/p>\n<p><strong>4. Interventions in Public Policy:<\/strong>\u00a0A larger portion of the budget should be allocated to the welfare of disabled people. There ought to be <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">budgeting for people with disabilities<\/span> in line with the <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">gender budget<span style=\"color: #333333;\">.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>5. Appointments of the Commissioners of Disability:<\/strong>\u00a0Many States fail to appoint Commissioners on time, as highlighted in a 2021 writ petition (<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Seema Girija Lal vs. Union of India<\/span>). The States must be proactive in appointment of the commissioners of disability. The States should appoint experts in law, human rights, social work, and NGOs, rather than civil servants.<\/p>\n<p><strong>6. Proactive role of the Entertainment Sector:<\/strong>\u00a0The private entertainment sector must address the needs of persons with disabilities, ensuring <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">inclusive recreational spaces<\/span> and <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">opportunities<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>7.<\/strong> <strong>Disability-inclusive reforms in Public Service Examination:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>True Physical Accessibility:<\/strong> Go beyond just ramps. Ensure all exam centers (including state PSCs and SSC centers) have truly accessible toilets, adequate lighting, lifts, and clear pathways. The lack of accessible washrooms forces many PwDs to limit fluid intake, severely impacting their performance.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Accessible Study Materials:<\/strong> Promote and incentivize the creation of accessible study materials (e.g., in Braille, large print, audio formats, digitally accessible PDFs) for public service exam aspirants. This requires collaboration with coaching institutes and publishers.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Contextualizing Aptitude Tests (e.g., CSAT):<\/strong> As highlighted by PwBD aspirants, time-bound reasoning and numeracy questions (like in CSAT) can disproportionately impact those with certain disabilities, who may have had years of inaccessible education or cognitive processing differences.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Scribe Availability:<\/strong> Ensure that UPSC\/PSCs have a robust system to provide qualified scribes in all centers, especially for candidates who cannot arrange one independently.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<table style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; border-style: solid;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 100%;\"><strong>Read More: <a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/opinion\/columns\/disabilities-pwbd-upsc-must-get-out-of-its-ablest-framework-10058049\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Indian Express<\/a><\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>UPSC Syllabus:<\/strong>\u00a0GS II, Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; Mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Persons with disabilities (PwD) face challenges on multiple fronts &#8211; one of them is related to lack of job opportunities. The private sector does not hire them because of their disabilities &amp; Public Service Commissions are not only unfair towards them but also refuse to acknowledge the existence of certain disabilities. In this article we&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/persons-with-disabilities-in-india-explained-pointwise\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Persons with Disabilities in India- Explained Pointwise<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10391,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[130],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-340574","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-7-pm","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","views":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/340574","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10391"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=340574"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/340574\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=340574"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=340574"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=340574"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}