Multi-Pronged Strategy
to Achieve Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities
The vision of the Ministry of Social Justice &
Empowerment is to build a society
wherein members of the target groups, Scheduled Castes, Other Backward Classes,
Persons with Disabilities (PwDs), Senior Citizens, and Victims of Substance
Abuse can lead productive, safe and dignified life, with all their basic needs
being fulfilled, and adequate support and equal opportunities are ensured for
their growth and development. In
view of this strong commitment to the empowerment of Persons with Disabilities,
the Department of Disability Affairs was created in May 2012 in the Ministry of
Social Justice & Empowerment.
The Article 41 of the Constitution of India states that "the State shall, within the
limits of its economic capacity and development, make effective provision for
securing the right to work, to education and to public assistance in cases of
unemployment, old age, sickness and disablement, and in other cases of
undeserved want.”
Under the Persons with
Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation)
Act, 1995 (PwD Act), and the National Trust for the Welfare of Persons with
Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities Act, 1999, "Person with
Disability" is defined as a person suffering from not less than 40% of any
disability, as certified by a medical authority - the disabilities being -
blindness, low vision, leprosy-cured, hearing impairment, locomotor disability,
mental retardation, mental illness, autism, or, a combination of any two or more of
them.
Its enabling framework consists of
four legislations, Rehabilitation Council of India Act,
1992, Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection
of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995;
National Trust for
the Welfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and
Multiple Disabilities Act, 1999
and Mental Health Act, 1987.
The National
Policy for Persons with Disabilities recognises the fact that persons with
disabilities are a valuable human resource for the country and seeks to create
an environment that provides them equal opportunities, protection of their
rights and full participation in society; which is in consonance with the basic
principles enshrined in our Constitution, of equality, freedom, justice and
dignity of all individuals. It implicitly mandates an inclusive society for
all, including persons with disabilities. The Policy also recognizes the fact that
a majority of persons with disabilities can lead a better quality of life if
they have equal opportunities and effective access to rehabilitation measures.
The institutional framework of the
Department consists of the office of Chief Commissioner for Persons with
Disabilities, Rehabilitation Council of India, National Trust for the Welfare
of Persons with Autism, Cerebral palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple
Disabilities, and eight National Institutes dedicated to different
disabilities, Regional and
District-level Centres for Persons with Disabilities and 8 Composite Regional
Centres and about 200 District Disability Rehabilitation Centres. These
organizations are involved in providing rehabilitation services, education,
manpower development and research, regulation and developmental activities. The
Department's two Central Public Sector Enterprises viz. Artificial Limbs
Manufacturing Corporation of India (ALIMCO) and National Handicapped Finance
Development Corporation (NHFDC) are involved in manufacture of aids and
assistive devices and providing financial assistance for economic empowerment
of the PwDs.
About 2.11 per cent of the population
as per 2001 census comprises of persons with disabilities having one or
multiple disability. Though the number is small, the need of these members of
our society deserves special attention. Disabilities present probabilistic
outcomes which can affect anyone and it is appropriate that society does
whatever it can to assist this segment to play a full part in society.
There was a paradigm shift in policy towards Persons
with Disabilities since the Ninth Five Year Plan, from the earlier welfare
based approach to a rights-based approach. The Tenth Plan focused on effective
implementation of various provisions of legislation and National Policy for
Persons with Disabilities. It advocated a multi-sectoral and
multi-collaborative approach.
The Eleventh Plan had aimed at inclusive growth. It
was expected to achieve inclusiveness through significant improvements in
literacy/education, health, greater employment opportunities and sharper focus
on disadvantaged groups. The Eleventh Plan emphasized upon the rights-based
approach to empower the PwDs inter alia through delineating clear cut responsibility
between the concerned Ministries/ Departments; formulating detailed rules and
guidelines by concerned Ministries/Departments; and monitoring mechanism at
various levels.
Achievements
During the XIth Plan, the Ministry has taken lead in a
number of areas and worked towards empowerment of persons with disabilities. A National Centre namely, Indian
Sign Language Research and Training Centre was set up in 2011 to propagate and
develop Indian Sign Language.
The National Handicapped Finance and Development
Corporation promoted economic development activities and self-employment
ventures for the benefit of Persons with Disability. The Corporation extended
credit facilities to beneficiaries through channelising agencies in States/UTs
and provided loans at concessional rate for education, skill development and
self-employment ventures to Persons with Disabilities. On the basis of
budgetary provisions made on year to year basis, 34461 persons with
disabilities benefited.
The Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of
India is manufacturing and supplying durable, sophisticated, scientifically
manufactured modern and ISI standard quality assistive aids and appliances that
can promote physical, psychological, social, economic and vocational
rehabilitation by reducing the effect of disabilities and enhancing potential
for self-dependence.
The scheme of setting up of Composite Regional Centres
is a part of overall strategy to reach out to the PwDs in the country and to
facilitate the creation of the required infrastructure and capacity building at
Central, State and District levels and below for awareness generation, training
of rehabilitation professionals, service delivery. At present there are eight
CRCs functioning at Sundernagar, Srinagar , Lucknow , Guwahati, Patna , Bhopal , Ahmedabad and Kozhikode .
199 District Disability Rehabilitation Centres have
been sanctioned out of which 181 are functional and are providing
rehabilitation services to persons with disabilities. 21 new DDRCs have been
set up in 2010–11 In the financial year 2011–12, grant amounting to Rs.196.28
lakh was released for setting up of 12 new DDRCs at Warangal (Andhra Pradesh),
Supaul (Bihar), Sitamarhi (Bihar), West Champaran (Bihar), Sabarkantha
(Gujarat), Banaskantha (Gujarat), Bharatpur (Rajasthan), Bhilwara (Rajasthan)
Aligarh (Uttar Pradesh), Bulandshahr (Uttar Pradesh), Bardhaman (West Bengal),
Purulia (West Bengal).
Scheme of Assistance to persons with disabilities for
Purchase/Fitting of Aids/Appliances provided
grant-in aid to the various implementing agencies (NGOs/District Disability
Rehabilitation Centres/ALIMCO/State Handicapped Development Corporation/other
local bodies) to assist the needy disabled persons in procuring durable,
sophisticated and scientifically manufactured, modern, standard aids and
appliances that can promote their physical, social and psychological
rehabilitation, by reducing the effects of disabilities and enhance their
economic potential.
The outlay under the Eleventh Five Year Plan for Deendayal Disabled Rehabiliation
Scheme was Rs.500.00 crore Under
the Scheme, 530 NGOs were assisted during 2007–11 covering an average of 2.3
lakh beneficiaries every year.
The Scheme of Incentives to Employers in the Private
Sector for Providing Employment to Persons with Disabilities provided the
employer’s contribution for Employees Provident Fund (EPF) and Employees State
Insurance (ESI) for the first 3 years, for employees with disabilities employed
in the private sector on or after 1
April 2008, with a monthly salary upto Rs.25000.
Under the scheme, 392 (upto 31 March 2012) and 918 (upto 29 September 2012)
persons have been registered by EPFO and ESIC respectively.
ARUNIM which is the marketing wing of National Trust
has been successful in facilitating enterprises that offer products and
services to ensure sustenance and equality for people with developmental
disabilities. Its sales is to the tune of Rs. 107.87 lacs from 2008 to date.
Some of the important initiatives undertaken by the
Department include fulfilling obligations due to ratification of United Nations
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities by India by way of
harmonising Indian Laws with the provisions of the Convention; replacing the
existing PwD Act by a new legislation to bring it in tune with the demands of
changing times; revision of ADIP scheme and introduction of national
fellowship/scholarship for students with disabilities to pursue post-matric,
professional, overseas and higher education etc.
The XII Plan has envisaged a multi-pronged strategy to
achieve empowerment of persons with disabilities by incorporating various
programme and initiatives
during the plan period. The outlay for the XII Plan period has been increased
from Rs.1,426.80 crores during XI Plan to Rs. 3,284 crores.
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