An introduction to Disability in the country :
Indian is grappling with a lack of infrastructure for the disabled. Most of the time the country is unable to reach a large fraction of affected people. Even though the government is consistently trying to bridge this gap, the infrastructure is not enough to support the affected divyangs.
While estimates vary, about 25 million people in India were found to have disability as per the official statistics. However, some sources claim that the magnitude in actuality is more with at least 5 per cent of the population suffering from one disability or the other and the official statistics accounting for only the most severe ones.
By and large, people with disability are further disabled through unequal treatment and denial of basic rights by society in general. The voiceless disabled people are an inseparable part of India’s growing population of marginalised, weaker and vulnerable sections of society.
A.) Demand / supply situation of moving disability AID in India: –
- Out of all kinds of disabilities more than 54 lakh people are affected by immobility and this is growing @3%. per annum.
- There is a need for more than 15 lakh wheel chairs at present.
- Out of these 54 lakh people 35 lakh are from below the poverty line.
- India manufactures and distributes less then 2-lakh wheel chairs per annum.
- Adding to this less than 40,000 battery operated wheel chairs or tricycles are made in the country.
- The challenge is to reach at least 10 lakhs with battery operated wheel chairs or tricycles.
B.) Quality and Ergonomics of products: –
- Most of the wheel chairs manufactured in India are not comfortable.
- Since most wheel chairs are distributed free of cost they are of sub standard quality.
Our Vision – Mission:
Bhartiya Vikas Sansthan Is a pioneer registered Charitable Trust working for the social, economic and cultural welfare of society. We have been serving all communities indiscriminately by establishing educational institutions with the intention of spreading knowledge and educating the masses. We also provide medical relief to the needy. With our new venture we aim to create awareness among the public and provide assistance to the divyangs and thereby make them self dependent. Bhartiya Vikas Sansthan
Bhartiya Vikas Sansthan has been working for community development, women, children and senior citizens issues since 1995. We also work for the betterment of the differently-abled and take up issues regarding cleanliness, help locate missing children and reunite them with their families, and raise issues for the improvements in society at large.
The Rights of Persons with Disability Bill 2016
The government has brought out 119 amendments to the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill, 2014. This will replace the Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995. The Bill has been brought out to comply with the UN Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities, to which India became a signatory in 2007.
The 1995 Act recognised 7 disabilities — blindness, low vision, leprosy-cured, hearing impairment, locomotor disability, mental retardation and mental illness. The 2014 Bill expanded the definition of disability to cover 19 conditions, including cerebral palsy, haemophilia, multiple sclerosis, autism and thalassaemia among others. The Bill also allowed the central government to notify any other condition as a disability.
The Bill makes a larger number of people eligible for rights and entitlements by reason of their disability, and for welfare schemes and reservations in government jobs and education.
The Rights of Persons with Disability Bill 2016 came into force on 16 December 2016
The salient features of the Bill are:
Disability has been defined based on an evolving and dynamic concept.
The types of disabilities have been increased from existing 7 to 21 and the Central Government will have the power to add more types of disabilities. The 21 disabilities are given below:-
- Blindness
- Low-vision
- Leprosy Cured persons
- Hearing Impairment (deaf and hard of hearing)
- Locomotor Disability
- Dwarfism
- Intellectual Disability
- Mental Illness
- Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Cerebral Palsy
- Muscular Dystrophy
- Chronic Neurological conditions
- Specific Learning Disabilities
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Speech and Language disability
- Thalassemia
- Hemophilia
- Sickle Cell disease
- Multiple Disabilities including deafblindness
- Acid Attack victim
- Parkinson’s disease
In addition, the Government has been authorised to notify any other category of specified disability.
Responsibility has been cast upon the appropriate governments to take effective measures to ensure that the persons with disabilities enjoy their rights equally with others.
Additional benefits such as reservation in higher education, government jobs, reservation in allocation of land, poverty alleviation schemes etc. have been provided for persons with benchmark disabilities and those with high support needs.
Every child with benchmark disability between the age group of 6 and 18 years shall have the right to free education.
Government funded educational institutions as well as the government recognised institutions will have to provide inclusive education to the children with disabilities.
For strengthening the Prime Minister’s Accessible India Campaign, stress has been given to ensure accessibility in public buildings (both Government and private) in a prescribed time-frame.
Reservation in vacancies in government establishments has been increased from 3% to 4% for certain persons or class of persons with benchmark disability.
The Bill provides for grant of guardianship by District Court under which there will be joint decision – making between the guardian and the persons with disabilities.
Broad based Central & State Advisory Boards on Disability are to be set up to serve as apex policy making bodies at the Central and State level.
Office of Chief Commissioner of Persons with Disabilities has been strengthened who will now be assisted by 2 Commissioners and an Advisory Committee comprising of not more than 11 members drawn from experts in various disabilities.
Similarly, the office of State Commissioners of Disabilities has been strengthened who will be assisted by an Advisory Committee comprising of not more than 5 members drawn from experts in various disabilities.
The Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities and the State Commissioners will act as regulatory bodies and Grievance Redressal agencies and also monitor implementation of the Act.
District level committees will be constituted by the State Governments to address local concerns of PwDs. Details of their constitution and the functions of such committees would be prescribed by the State Governments in the rules.
Creation of National and State Fund will be created to provide financial support to the persons with disabilities. The existing National Fund for Persons with Disabilities and the Trust Fund for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities will be subsumed with the National Fund.
The Bill provides for penalties for offences committed against persons with disabilities and also violation of the provisions of the new law.
Special Courts will be designated in each district to handle cases concerning violation of rights of PwDs.
The New Act will bring our law in line with the United National Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), to which India is a signatory. This will fulfill the obligations on the part of India in terms of UNCRD. Further, the new law will not only enhance the Rights and Entitlements of Divyangjan but also provide effective mechanism for ensuring their empowerment and true inclusion into the Society in a satisfactory manner.
Conclusion
More than 50% of the Divyangs are suffering from disability of movement. With our equipment we at intent to change the lives of millions by providing better mobility to these Divyangs.
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