Why in News?
The recent decision of the Union government to drop the disability-specific question from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-6 sends out wrong signals regarding Disabled friendly Policies in India.
What is Disability?
Disability results from the interaction between persons with impairments and attitudinal and environmental barriers that hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others.
Disability Scenario in India:
- As per Census 2011, in India, out of the total population of 121 crore, about 2.68 Cr persons are ‘Disabled’ (2.21% of the total population)
- Out of 2.68 crore, 1.5 crore are males and 1.18 crore are females
- 7.62% of the disabled persons belong to the age group 0-6 years.
- Majority (69%) of the disabled population resided in rural areas
Constitutional Provisions for Disabled in India:
- Article 41 of the Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP) states that the State shall make effective provision 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.
International Convention regarding Disabled:
- India signed the United Nations Convention on Rights of Persons with Disability and subsequently ratified the same on October 1, 2007.
Legislative Backing in India:
- Enactment of a new disability legislation (Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016) increased the number of disabilities from 7 conditions to 21.
- Focus on disabilities has been shifted from the individual to society, i.e., from a medical model of disability to a social or human rights model of disability.
Issues faced by Disabled:
Social Stigma:
- Disability discrimination is a serious problem in India, where stigmatisation of those with disabilities and a lack of awareness of their legal rights make it difficult for them to perform their valued functions.
- Disability increases the risk of sexual and gender-based violence for women and girls.
Health Related Issues:
- Many preventable disabilities can be avoided, but there aren't enough medical facilities that are accessible, caring, or aware of the issue.
Employment and Education:
- Disability-related barriers to education and employment include a lack of special schools, qualified teachers, and educational resources.
- Adults with disabilities are less likely to be employed than the general population.
Lack of Political Participation:
- As a result of inaccessible voting procedures like poor adaptation of Braille EVMs
Lack of real-time aggregate data
Poor Implementation:
- Another problem is the slack implementation of programmes to better the situation of people with disabilities (PwDs).
- The majority of buildings in India are not accessible for people with disabilities, despite the Accessible India Campaign's directives to ministries to that effect.
- A percentage of government jobs and higher education institutions are reserved for people with disabilities under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, but the majority of these positions are unfilled.
Above all the Issues, the major issue is lack of Census :
The recent decision of the Union government to drop the disability-specific question from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-6 sends out wrong signals.
Why Data about Disabilities is Crucial?
- The Ministry of Health and Family said that disability data was already collected as part of the Sample Registration Survey (SRS) 76th round and disability data will ‘not change fast’.
- While gross data on disabilities will change marginally (but still be substantial given the numbers), the count of 6.1 lakh sample households that the NFHS relies on will make the data set truly representative.
- While the SRS does a good job with marking the prevalence and incidence of disability, education level, living arrangements, care-givers, certificate of disability, accessibility and unemployment rate, among others.
The elaborate questions asked by the NFHS will provide valuable specifics on:
The NFHS asks more comprehensive questions.
- The lives of the disabled;
- It seeks answers on health and nutrition status
- Access to health schemes, insurance
- Sexual behaviour
- Availability of family planning, use of contraception
- Domestic violence, household amenities and possessions
- Access to drinking water and toilets.
- There is no doubt that NHFS will yield better, more robust, data on the disability sector.
The state must employ these efforts — adding questions on disabilities, training field staff, because nothing really justifies any attempt to keep a significant section out of a massive scale count of the Indian population.
Additional Feed:
Right of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016
- The Act replaces the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995.
- "Person with disability" means a person with long term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which, in interaction with barriers, hinders his full and effective participation in society equally with others.
- "Person with benchmark disability" means a person with not less than 40% of a specified disability.
- It reflects a paradigm shift in thinking about disability from a social welfare concern to a human rights issue.
- The types of disabilities have been increased from 7 to 21.
- The act added mental illness, autism, spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, chronic neurological conditions, speech and language disability, thalassemia, hemophilia, sickle cell disease, multiple disabilities including deaf blindness, acid attack victims and Parkinson’s disease which were largely ignored in earlier act. In addition, the Government has been authorized to notify any other category of specified disability.
Reservation:
- It increases the quantum of reservation for people suffering from disabilities from 3% to 4% in government jobs and from 3% to 5% in higher education institutes.
- Every child with benchmark disability between the age group of 6 and 18 years shall have the right to free education. Government funded educational institutions as well as the government recognized institutions will have to provide inclusive education.
Accessibility:
- Stress has been given to ensure accessibility in public buildings in a prescribed time frame along with Accessible India Campaign.
- Monitoring Authority:
- The Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities and the State Commissioners will act as regulatory bodies and Grievance Redressal agencies, monitoring implementation of the Act.
- The Bill provides for penalties for offences committed against persons with disabilities and also violation of the provisions of the new law.
- Special Courts will be designated in each district to handle cases concerning violation of rights of PwDs.
Finances:
A separate National and State Fund be created to provide financial support to persons with disabilities.
Programmes/initiatives for Disabled in India:
1. Accessible India Campaign:
- A nation-wide flagship campaign for achieving universal accessibility that will enable persons with disabilities to gain access for equal opportunity and live independently and participate fully in all aspects of life in an inclusive society.
- The campaign targets at enhancing the accessibility of built environment, transport system and Information & communication ecosystem.
2. DeenDayal Disabled Rehabilitation Scheme:
- Under the scheme financial assistance is provided to NGOs for providing various services to Persons with Disabilities, like special schools, vocational training centres, community based rehabilitation, pre-school and early intervention etc.
- Assistance to Disabled Persons for Purchase / fitting of Aids and Appliances (ADIP): The Scheme aims at helping the disabled persons by bringing suitable, durable, scientifically-manufactured, modern, standard aids and appliances within their reach.
- National Fellowship for Students with Disabilities (RGMF)
- The scheme aims to increase opportunities to students with disabilities for pursuing higher education.
- Under the Scheme, 200 Fellowships per year are granted to students with disability.
Mains Questions:
Q: “Persons with Disability are no more objects of Charity but are subjects of Change”- Analyse in the context of Right of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016?
Q: Policies for Empowerment of Disabled in India itself are Disabled with Data- Comment.
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