In a move aimed at bringing more specially-abled people under the ambit of several welfare schemes, the Centre has raised the categories of disabilities from 7 to 19. In another major relief to lakhs of divyangs, the Centre has also made a provision in the draft of Right of Persons with Disabilities Bill, 2014, that disability certificates issued by state authorities would also be valid across the country.
The Right of Persons with Disabilities Bill, 2014, which makes accessibility a mandatory requirement under the law, is going to replace the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995. The draft has been sent to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) for consultation and after the PMO’s clearance, the Bill would be passed in the Upper House by bringing about some amendments.
At present, the reservation for the disabled is only 3 per cent in the ratio of 1 per cent each for the physically, visually and hearing-impaired persons. If the new Bill is passed by Parliament, the existing quota will also be extended to two new additional categories — mentally disabled and people with multiple disabilities.
The total 19 categories in the proposed legislation include autism spectrum disorder, blindness, cerebral palsy, chronic neurological conditions, deafblindness, hemophilia, hearing impairment, intellectual disability, leprosy cured person, locomotor disability, low-vision, mental illness, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, specific learning disabilities, speech and language disability, thalassemia, sickle cell disease, multiple disability.
Giving a brief about changes in the new law, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot said: “We have made a new provision in the draft Right of Persons with Disabilities Bill, 2014 as per which the disability certificate once issued will be valid all across the country or in any Central government office.”
Hailing the move, Dr Satyendra Singh, who is himself physically challenged, said: “It’s good that government has raised the sub-categories from 7 to 19. It will help in identification of persons suffering from invisible disabilities such as dyslexia, thalassemia.”
“Given that self-declaration about invisible disabilities is still a taboo, the number of disables in the country has increased by just 0.05 per cent as according to the 2001 Census there were 2.21 per cent disabled, which rose to 2.26 per cent in 2011,” said Singh, who is assistant professor of physiology at Guru Tegh Bahadur Hospital, Delhi.
The 19 categories of disabilities
Autism spectrum disorder
Blindness
Cerebral palsy
Chronic neurological conditions
Deafblindness
Hemophilia
Hearing impairment
Intellectual disability
Leprosy cured person
Locomotor disability
Low-vision
Mental illness
Muscular dystrophy
Multiple sclerosis
Specific learning disabilities
Speech and language disability
Thalassemia
Sickle cell disease
Multiple disability