Persons with Disabilities in Modern Society

5.1 Scale and Demographics

Census 2011 data:

• Total PwD: 2.68 crore (26.8 million) = 2.21% of population.
• Male: 14.9 million; Female: 11.8 million.
• Most common: Locomotor disability (20.3%), visual impairment (18.8%), hearing impairment (18.9%).
• Rural vs. Urban: 69% of PwD live in rural areas.

Types of disabilities recognised under RPwD Act, 2016 (21 types):

Category	Examples
Physical	Locomotor, Leprosy cured, Dwarfism, Cerebral palsy, Acid attack victims
Visual	Blindness, Low vision
Hearing	Deaf, Hard of hearing, Deaf-blindness
Intellectual	Intellectual disability, Autism spectrum disorder, Specific learning disabilities
Mental	Mental illness
Blood disorders	Thalassemia, Sickle cell disease, Hemophilia
Multiple	Multiple disabilities including deaf-blindness

5.2 Legal and Policy Framework

Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 (RPwD Act):

• Replaces Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995.
• Recognises 21 types of disabilities (up from 7).
• 4% reservation in government jobs (up from 3%): 1% each for locomotor, visual, hearing/speech, and multiple/others.
• 5% reservation in higher educational institutions.
• Equal rights: Right to legal capacity, access to justice, accessible environments, right to live independently.
• Mandatory accessibility: All government buildings, public transport, websites to be accessible.
• Punishments for atrocities against PwD (Chap. XVIII).

International Convention:

• UN Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD, 2006): India ratified in 2007. RPwD 2016 was enacted to align domestic law with UNCRPD.

Schemes:

• Assistance to Disabled Persons for Purchase of Aids and Appliances (ADIP): Free assistive devices.
• Deen Dayal Disabled Rehabilitation Scheme (DDRS): Funds NGOs for rehabilitation.
• Unique Disability ID (UDID) Card: Digital ID for PwD to avail benefits.
• Accessible India Campaign (Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan, 2015): Making public places, transport, and digital environments accessible.

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