DISABILITY

• Article 41 of the Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP) states that the State shall make effective provisions for securing the right to work, to education, and to public assistance in cases of unemployment, old age, sickness, and disablement, within the limits of its economic capacity and development.
• The subject of ‘relief of the disabled and unemployable’ is specified in the state list of the Seventh Schedule of the constitution.

4. Who are disabled and in what way?

• Rural men had the highest prevalence of disability in India, according to the NSO report.
• A higher proportion of men were disabled in India compared with women, and disability was more prevalent in rural areas than in urban areas.
• The inability to move without assistance was the most common disability. More men experienced locomotor disability than women.
• These numbers were self-reported. In other words, the respondents were asked if they experienced any difficulty in performing tasks like moving, talking, etc.

5. 2011 Census estimates

• The 2011 census estimated that the number of people with disabilities in India is close to 2.68 crores (or 2.2% of the population)- that is more than the entire population of Australia.
• This number was based on the older definition of disability, yet the proportion of disabled people in the population is not different from the 2019 NSO report, which used the expanded definition of disability.
• However, the 2019 edition of disability statistics reported a slightly higher prevalence than those reported in earlier editions of the survey.
• A 2019 study by the Public Health Foundation of India found that the use of the Annual Health Survey's metrics results in a lower prevalence.

6. Why is it important to get the number of disabled people right?

• Like other disadvantaged groups, the disabled in India are entitled to some benefits, ranging from reservations in educational institutes to concessions on railway tickets.
• To claim these benefits, they have to furnish certificates as proof of disability.
• At the macro level, data on the prevalence and type of disability is useful while making allocations for welfare schemes.
• In the 2021 census, disability will be defined as per the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (Or RPwD) Act of 2016.
• The department (of disability affairs) is also in the process of creating a national database of PwDs, which will contain information on those with certificates issued by competent medical authorities.

7. What are the recent initiatives for the Empowerment of the Disabled?

India

• Unique Disability Identification Portal
• Accessible India campaign
• DeenDayal Disabled Rehabilitation Scheme
• Assistance to Disabled persons for purchase/fitting of Aids and Appliances
• National Fellowship for Students with Disabilities

• Incheon strategy to "Make the Right Real" for persons with Disabilities in Asia and the Pacific.
• United Nations Convention on Rights of Persons with Disability.
• International Day of Persons with Disabilities
• UN Principles for People with Disabilities

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