Status of persons with disabilities

Context: There needs to be a focus on solutions that enhance the activities of daily life and the quality of life for the disabled

News:

• The United Nations has emphasized the need for "transformative solutions" that promote inclusive development and leave no one behind, refocusing attention on disability-reducing innovations.
• The field of "neuropsychiatry," situated at the brain-mind interface, has witnessed numerous treatment innovations aimed at improving outcomes for individuals with neuropsychiatric disorders.
• Neuropsychiatric disorders, inherently disabling, span the entire lifespan, encompassing conditions like autism, ADHD, and intellectual disability in childhood (317 million individuals).
• Mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, eating disorders, addictions, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder affect 167 million adolescents and 970 million people globally throughout adolescence and adult life.
• Traumatic brain injury, spinal injury, epilepsy, and headaches present challenges across the lifespan, while conditions like stroke, Alzheimer’s dementia, and Parkinson’s disease impact 276 million individuals in old age.
• According to the World Health Organization's Global Burden of Disease study (2019), 2.41 billion individuals globally could benefit from rehabilitation, contributing to 310 million Years of Living with Disabilities (YLD), marking a 63% increase from 1990 to 2019.
• Rehabilitation services, often perceived as disability-specific and limited to a few, have not been prioritized in many countries, despite their individual and societal benefits.

About disability

• Disability arises from the interplay between individuals with impairments and societal and environmental barriers that impede their complete and active engagement in society on an equal footing with others.
• As per the 2011 Census, disabled individuals make up 2.21% of India's total population, with 7.62% falling within the age group of 0-6 years.
• India has endorsed the United Nations Convention on Rights of Persons with Disability and officially ratified it on October 1, 2007. The enactment of a new disability legislation, the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016, expanded the recognized disabilities from 7 to 21 conditions.
• There has been a significant shift in the focus on disabilities, transitioning from an individual-centric approach to a societal perspective, moving from a medical model of disability to a social or human rights model.

Models of disability

Medical Model:

Individuals with specific physical, intellectual, psychological, and mental impairments are considered disabled. Disability is attributed to the individual, seen as limitations in activity. Responsibility lies on the individual to adapt to the environment through cures, treatment, and rehabilitation.

Social Model:

Focuses on society imposing undue restrictions on individuals with impairment. Disability is not inherent to individuals but results from the interaction between individuals and society. Highlights societal structures as contributing factors to disability.

Issues Related to Persons with Disability in India:

Discrimination:

- Continuous discrimination based on the stigma attached to persons with disabilities.

- Lack of understanding of their rights hinders their attainment of valued functioning.

- Women and girls with disabilities face a higher risk of sexual and gender-based violence.

Health

- A significant number of disabilities are preventable, including those from medical issues during birth, maternal conditions, malnutrition, accidents, and injuries.

- Lack of awareness, care, and accessible medical facilities contribute to the health-related challenges. Education and Employment

- Insufficient availability of special schools, access to schools, trained teachers, and educational materials for individuals with disabilities.

- Despite the capability of many disabled adults for productive work, they experience significantly lower employment rates than the general population.

Political Participation

Exclusion of disabled people from political spaces occurs at all levels of the political process.

- Challenges include the lack of live aggregate data on disabled individuals in constituencies, inaccessibility of the voting process, and barriers to participation in party politics.

- Political parties generally do not prioritize the needs of disabled individuals as a large electorate.

Lax Implementation:

- Despite admirable government initiatives, most buildings in India lack disability-friendly infrastructure.

- The Accessible India Campaign instructs ministries to make buildings accessible, but compliance is lacking.

- The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act mandates a quota for disabled individuals in government jobs and higher education, but a majority of these positions remain unfilled.

Way Forward for Addressing Disability Issues:

Preventive Actions:

Strengthen preventive health programs with universal screening for all children at a young age. Implement early prevention programs, such as Kerala's Comprehensive Newborn Screening (CNS), to identify deficits in infants and reduce the burden of disability.

Community-Based Rehabilitation (CBR) Approach:

Implement the CBR approach to maximize the physical and mental abilities of people with disabilities. Ensure access to regular services and opportunities for full integration within communities.

Increasing Public Awareness:

Run social campaigns by governments, voluntary organizations, and professional associations to change attitudes related to Persons with Disabilities (PwDs). Mainstream media should continue to portray positive representations of people with disabilities, as seen in movies like "Taare Zameen Par" and "Barfi."

Education Transition:

Address the stigma associated with special schools by promoting inclusiveness among disabled students. Establish proper transition channels between special schools and the outer world.

Collaboration With States:

Raise awareness about care for pregnant mothers and ensure good and accessible medical facilities in rural areas. Support state governments with fiscal decentralization in the health sector, recognizing health as a 'state subject' in the constitution.