The theme of IDPD-2020“Building back better: towards a disability-inclusive, accessible and sustainable post-Covid-19 World”

On December 3 this year, during the annual celebration of people with disabilities, the 2020 theme Building Back Better: towards a disability-inclusive, accessible and sustainable post-Covid-19 World”, also focuses on spreading awareness and understanding of disabilities that are not immediately apparent, such as mental illness, chronic pain or fatigue, sight or hearing impairments, diabetes, brain injuries, neurological disorders, learning differences, and cognitive dysfunctions, among others.

      According to the WHO World Report on Disability, 15 percent of the world’s population, or more than 1 billion people, are living with a disability. Of this number, it’s estimated 450 million are living with a mental or neurological condition— and two-thirds of these people will not seek professional medical help, largely due to stigma, discrimination, and neglect.

Another 69 million individuals are estimated to sustain Traumatic Brain Injuries each year worldwide, while one in 160 children is identified as on the autism spectrum.

These are just some examples of the millions of people currently living with a disability that is not immediately apparent, and a reminder of the importance of removing barriers for all people living with a disability, both visible and invisible.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, isolation, disconnect, disrupted routines and diminished services have greatly impacted the lives and mental well-being of people with disabilities right around the world. Spreading awareness of invisible disabilities, as well as these potentially detrimental— and not always immediately apparent— impacts to mental health, is crucial as the world continues to fight against the virus.

List of Disabilities Covered Under Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 (RPWD Act)

Here is an info graphic list of disabilities that are covered under the Right of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016. The RPWD Act enlisted 21 medical conditions as recognized disabilities.

Following are the disability conditions included in the RPWD Act 2016

Blindness, Low vision,Leprosy Cured persons,Hearing Impairment (deaf and hard of hearing), Locomotor Disability, Dwarfism, Intellectual Disability, Mental Illness, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Cerebral Palsy, Muscular Dystrophy, Chronic Neurological conditions, Specific Learning Disabilities, Multiple Sclerosis, Speech and Language disability, Thalassemia, Hemophilia,Sickle Cell disease, Multiple Disabilities including deaf-blindness, Acid Attack victim, Parkinson’s disease

 

ü  2.21% of total population in India has disability.

o    2.41% of male population of India is disabled

o    2.01% of female population in India is disabled

ü  Overall there are 2 crore 68 lakh persons with disability.

ü  More than 41% persons with disabilities in India never get married! This has a direct connection with the cliches associated with disability.

ü  Locomotor and multiple disabilities are more commonly found in rural areas of India.

ü  Speech and hearing impairment are found to be more prevalent among the urban population of India.

ü  Only 36.3% of the disabled population (which turns out to be about 98 lakhs) are employed.

o    Of these, about 71 lakh are men and 27 lakh are women

ü  Literacy rate among women with disabilities is merely 45% whereas the overall women literacy rate in India is 65%.

ü  Literacy rate of men with disabilities is 62%.

ü  27% of Indian people with no disability are illiterate. This figure goes up to 57% in case of people with intellectual disability.

ü  44% of Indian people with no disability are unemployed. In contrast, 72% of people with intellectual disability remain unemployed.

ü  Only 8.5% disabled people in India acquire a graduate degree.

ü  It is estimated that the number of unemployed persons with disabilities will cross 10 million by 2022 if appropriate skills are not imparted through training programs.

It is interesting to note that according to WHO’s 2013 report; around 15% of world’s population has some type of disability. In contrast, India’s figure of 2.21% indicates that India’s definition of disability is leaving  lot of person with disabilities out of its ambit. The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016 has recognized more conditions as disabilities. So, we can hope that the Census of India 2021 will provide more accurate data on disabled people in India.

 

HOW DO YOU ENSURE ACCESS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES?

There are a number of aspects to assuring access for people with disabilities. The obvious one is the physical: designing and building or changing structures and spaces to conform to the needs of all members of the community, including those with disabilities. In addition, however, there are social aspects, such as non-discrimination in employment and service delivery, and equal treatment in all situations of people with and without disabilities.

When most of us think about a building, a park, or even a sidewalk, we sometimes don’t think about people at all. When we do, we often consider only able-bodied adults, leaving out children, elders, and people of all ages with disabilities. Ensuring access for those with disabilities involves changing attitudes.

 

Conclusion:

 Ensuring accessibility for people with disabilities means more than building ramps and accessible restrooms. It calls for a change in basic attitudes. That attitude change won’t have been accomplished until a great majority of people around the world understand that individuals with disabilities are individuals who are not defined by their disabilities. 

To achieve that end, we have to demand enforcement of laws and regulations that protect those individuals’ rights, work for policy change and the passage of laws and regulations in places where they don’t exist, collaborate with those who design, build, and fund projects where accessibility can be built-in, enlist the media to influence public opinion, and keep at it as long as necessary. Only when people with disabilities can live their lives free of unjust barriers will the work be done.