Disability and Govt. Policy

Disability and Govt. Policy

India is a Country which posses all types of disabilities like Visual, Hearing, Speech, Locomotors and Mental Disabilities.

The constitution of India, specially the articles 17,21,21A,14 ensure equality, freedom, justice and dignity of all individuals and implicitly mandate an inclusive society for all including the persons with disabilities.

Some international conventions, of India is signatory:

• Declaration on the Full Participation and Equality of People with Disabilities in the Asia Pacific Region
• Biwako Millennium Framework: For action towards an inclusive, barrier free and rights based society.
• UN Convention on Protection and Promotion of the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities.

Some National Mechanisms:

National Policy for Persons with Disabilities 2005:

• It focuses on prevention of desabilities and physical and economic rehabilitation of persons with disabilities 

Persons with Disabilities(Equal opportunities, Protection of rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995

• Focuses on Education, Employment, Vocational Training , Creation of Barrier free environment, Rehabilitation Services, Institutional Services and Supportive Social Security Measures like unemployment allowance and grievance redressal machinery.

National Trust for Welfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities Act, 1999

• India is the only country in the world to have legislation for Autism
• This act focuses on extending support to registered organisations providing need based services
• Also focuses on to evolve procedures for appointment of legal guardians for persons with disabilities.

Rehabilitation council of India:

Statutory body setup under the Rehabilitation Council of India Act, 1992. Its working areas are

• Standardization and Regulation of Training Courses for profession trainers
• Recoginsation of institutions and universities running training courses in area of rehabilitation of disabled within and outside the country
• Promotion of research in rehabilitation and special education
• Maintenance of Central Rehabilitation Register for Professionals possessing the recognised rehabilitation qualification
• Encouragement of continuing rehabilitation education programmes

Other National Mechanisms:

• Office of Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities
• National Handicapped Finance and Development Corporation
• Schemes for Assistance to Disabled Persons for Purchase/Fitting of Aids and Appliances

Some Institutes in Field of Rehabilitation and Special Education

• National Institute for Visually Handicapped, Dehradun
• National Institute for Orthographically Handicapped, Kolkata   
• Ali Yavur Jung National Institute for Hearing Handicapped, Mumbai
• National Institute for Mentally Handicapped, Secunderabad
• National Institute for Rehabilitation Training and Research, Cuttack
• Institute for Physically Handicapped, New Delhi
• National Institute for Empowerment of Persons with Multiple Disabilities, Chennai
• Artificial Limb Manufacturing Corporation of India, Kanpur