The Hindu : New Delhi News : Delhi has second lowest disabled population

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Feb 06, 2005

New Delhi

New Delhi

Delhi has second lowest disabled population

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, FEB. 5 . The number of disabled persons per lakh of the population in the Capital has fallen compared to 1991. This was revealed by the Delhi Finance and Planning Minister, Ashok Kumar Walia, during the release of the Annual Report on Mentally and Physically Challenged Persons in the Capital today.

Prepared by the Delhi Directorate of Economics and Statistics, according to the report, the number of disabled persons per lakh of population -- known as prevalence rate of disability -- has come down in Delhi from 1093 during 1991 to 707 during 2002. Dr. Walia also informed that Delhi had the second least as far as prevalence rate of disabled persons was concerned followed by Chandigarh. The highest prevalence rate of 2571 disabled persons per lakh population was in Himachal Pradesh.

The prevalence rate of disability in case of male in Delhi is 821 compared to 2000 at the national level. In case of females, it is 567 per lakh persons in Delhi compared to 1,493 at the national level.

As per the report, the total number of disabled persons in Delhi as on October 1, 2002, is 102,427, which constitutes about 0.71 per cent of the total population of the city. About 12.66 per cent (12970) persons of the total disabled population in Delhi have mental disability, about 7.13 per cent (7308) have visual disability, 5.2 per cent (5326) have communication disability, 68.37 per cent (70026) have locomotor disability and the remaining 6.64 per cent (6797) suffer from multiple disabilities, says the report. About 13.16 per cent of the total disabled population falls in the age group of 60 years and above.

According to Dr. Walia, the Government is already giving monthly pension of Rs. 350 to old age persons and added that the Government would ensure that the old age persons who were disabled and belong to the weaker sections of society must be given preference in getting this pension.

About 20 per cent of the total disabled population of the Capital belongs to the age group of less than 14 years. Of them, 9 per cent can take care of themselves with the help of aids and appliances. Dr. Walia said that special efforts would be made for providing treatment and aid and appliances to such children.

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