Prelims: Current events of national importance(Different social service Schemes, abala, sabala, All India Women’s Conference, NFHS, Rights of persons with disabilities act.,2016, digital India, census 2011 etc )
- Mains GS Paper II & III: Social empowerment, development and management of social sectors/services etc.
ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS
- Globally, 3(one point three)billion people live with some form of disability.
- Of them, 80% live in developing countries; further, 70% of them live in rural areas.
INSIGHTS ON THE ISSUE
Context
Disability:
- It is an umbrella term, covering impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions.
- An impairment is a problem in body function or structure;
- An activity limitation is a difficulty encountered by an individual in executing a task or action
- A participation restriction is a problem experienced by an individual in involvement in life situations.
Constitutional Frameworks for Disabled in India
- Article 41 of the Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP) states that State shall make effective provision for securing right to work, to education and to public assistance in cases of unemployment, old age, sickness and disablement, within the limits of its economic capacity and development.
- The subject of ‘relief of the disabled and unemployable’ is specified in the state list of the Seventh Schedule of the constitution.
Issues faced by Disabled people:
- Current systems are designed for persons without disabilities and end up being exclusionary to people with disabilities, resulting in:
- higher instances of poverty
- lack of access to education and opportunities
- informality and other forms of social and economic discrimination.
- The current employment scenario is limited, providing fewer jobs for persons with disabilities
- Current employment scenario perpetuates stereotypes that create further barriers for people with disabilities to access the labor market.
- The limited access to education and employment.
- Some developmental schemes, too, exclude them.
- They are viewed as objects of charity and not as persons with agency with an ability to participate in decision-making processes.
Importance of inclusive disability people:
- The Inclusion of persons with disabilities into the economy can help boost global GDP between 3% to 7%(International Labour Organization (ILO))
India and disabilities people:
- In India, the Central and State governments have various schemes for persons with disabilities
- A unique id for persons with disabilities (UDID) card, established as part of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act (2016).
What Steps need to be taken?
- Awareness to ensure last-mile connectivity of the benefits enumerated for people with disabilities by the government
- Capacity-building of community leaders who can advocate for this at the grass-roots level.
- This is especially important in rural areas, where persons with disabilities tend to face greater challenges when compared to their urban counterparts
- A bottom-up approach to disability inclusion is crucial to build productive pathways out of poverty
- Ensure that persons with disabilities are recognised as active members of society and the economy.
- The private sector: It holds a key in promoting the employment of persons with disabilities.
- Engagement of employers’ federations, including those representing small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as with trade unions
- It has shown to have great potential to promote the employment of persons with disabilities.
The SPARK project:
● The ILO and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), in collaboration with the Women’s Development Corporation in Maharashtra, are implementing the SPARK project.
● Persons with disabilities were put in the lead
● They are being identified from the villages, and trained as Disability Inclusion Facilitators (DIFs).
● The DIFs engage with the community, persons with disabilities, caregivers of persons with disabilities, women from self-help groups and other stakeholders to raise awareness about disability inclusion and barriers to inclusion.
● The DIFs identify women with disabilities and mainstream them in existing self-help groups for social and economic development
○ where these women have been able to access funds to start an enterprise.
● It has been able to bring an attitudinal shift towards persons with disabilities, right from the societal to administrative levels.
Way Forward
- Disability as an identity and entity exists at the intersection of multiple vulnerabilities — social, economic and gender — with each facet requiring careful consideration when conceptualizing action for equity.
- Disability inclusion is rooted in assuring the rights of persons with disabilities and recognising the economic benefits of inclusion.
- The goal of social justice cannot be achieved without the inclusion of persons with disabilities in all spheres of development, starting with rural areas and rural resilience.
- Evidence shows a bi-directional link to poverty, nutrition, and hunger, and as a consequence, there needs to be more inclusive opportunities and employment in rural areas.
- A fundamental shift in commitment, solidarity, financing and action is critical.
- By proper implementation and operationalisation of laws and policies can we bring about positive changes in the lives of the disabled in India.
- To ensure this we need to focus on four things — disaggregated data, accessibility, finances and awareness.
QUESTION FOR PRACTICE
The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 remains only a legal document without intense sensitisation of government functionaries and citizens regarding disability. Comment.(UPSC 2022) (200 WORDS, 10 MARKS)
