NEW DELHIC: There are 21.9 million disabled in the country, according to C ensus data released by the Registrar-General of India. This is about 2.13 per cent of the total population.

Of this 1.03 per cent is visually impaired, 0.16 per cent speech impaired, 0.12 per cent `hearing' impaired, 0.59 per cent `movement' impaired and 0.22 per cent `mentally' disabled.

The 2001 Census figures show that the highest percentage (48.5) of disabled is in the visual impairment category followed by the disability in `movement' (27.9 percent). The lowest percentage (5.8) has been reported for hearing disability.

Males afflicted more

A higher percentage of disabled women are in the visually impaired and hearing impaired categories. In the case of males a higher percentage has been reported in the `movement' and `mental' categories.

The number of disabled is increasing across all age groups. Disability has afflicted a higher percentage of males than females.

Three out of five children in the age group of 0-9 years have been reported to be visually impaired. This declines initially and increases with age to reach a high of 51.9 per cent among those aged 60 years and above. Speech disability afflicts the younger population more whereas hearing disability is more of an `old age' phenomenon.

Movement disability has the highest proportion (33.2 per cent) in the age group of 10-19 but is spread more or less uniformly across the broad age groups. This is largely true of `mental' disability also except that the proportion of the disabled at 4.8 per cent is low for the elderly.

Collecting data relating to disability dates back to the inception of the modern Indian Census in 1872. The questionnaire of the 1872 Census, called the `House Register,' included questions on the physically disabled, mentally disabled and persons afflicted by leprosy. Collection of information on infirmities was continued in the censuses from 1881 to 1931.

Doubts about authenticity

As the Census Commissioners expressed doubts on the authenticity and quality of data collected, the enumeration of physically disabled persons was discontinued in the 1941 Census.

A question on disability was again canvassed during the 1981 Census. However, when the results of this Census were collated, it was felt there was considerable under-enumeration of physically handicapped persons. The question of disability was not taken up during the 1991 Census.

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