People with disabilities in India: from commitments to outcomes

Abstract

This report, prepared at the request of Government of India, explores the social and economic situation of this sizeable group. It comes over a decade after landmark legislation promoting the rights of persons with disabilities to full participation in Indian society, and finds that progress is evident in some areas. However, the policy commitments of governments in a number of areas remain in large part unfulfilled. The report explores primarily where and how it makes most sense for public sector interventions to improve the standard of living of disabled population, either directly or in partnership. To meet this objective, it first provides an overview of models of disability and the framework for the report. It then presents the socio-economic profile of people with disabilities, describes the societal attitudes faced by them, and identifies the main causes of disability in India. It then evaluates health policies and practice, both preventive and curative and the education, employment, and social protection situation of people with disabilities. The report then has a discussion of the policies and institutions affecting disabled people, before concluding with a chapter on accessibility issues for people with disabilities. The report uses the so-called bio-psychosocial model of disability reflected in the Second International Classification of Impairments, Disability and Handicaps (ICIDH-2), which recognizes that personal, social and environmental factors are all at play in turning physical or mental impairments into disabilities. The report concludes that it will take a multi-faceted approach for disabled people to realize their full individual potential and to maximize their social and economic contribution to society.