India’s disabled have been shortchanged
The count of the physically challenged in Census 2011 was a gross underestimation
They are often called India’s invisible population. The 2011 Census put the number of differently abled in the country at 26.8 million or about 2.23% of the country’s population. Now a top government official has acknowledged that the figure is a gross underestimation. That there were discrepancies in counting the number of disabled in the country was known. One example of this was the WHO’s estimate in 2013 that put the number of visually challenged in India at 63 million. This flies in the face of the 2011 Census estimate that puts the total disabled population in the country at 26 million.
There are a number of factors that contribute to this under-reporting. One big reason could be the reluctance of officials conducting household surveys during the census. Activists say census officials often skip the disability question. Matters are not helped by the stigma associated with mental disorders that makes people reluctant to talk about affected family members. Now, with the passing of the Right of Persons with Disabilities Bill, 2014, the number of recognised disabilities has gone up three-fold: from seven to 21. Another problem that led to underreporting was mindless aggregation. The erstwhile Act clubbed disorders such as cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, and leprosy, under the locomotor disabilities head. That’s why the new Act emphasises the need for disaggregated data.
Finding precise numbers of the disabled is essential in order to formulate policy . One solution could be the Village Disability Registers whereby the disabled register themselves. Also crucial is making all 750 government websites and apps such as BHIM, meant to promote digital payments, accessible to the disabled. That will ensure that the Accessible India Campaign doesn’t remain a pipe dream. Unless the severity of the problem is known, the State can’t formulate policies to overcome the challenges that the physically and mentally challenged face.