The Hindu : Opinion / Editorials : Strengthening the rights of the disabled

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Monday, Jun 27, 2005

Opinion

Opinion - Editorials

Strengthening the rights of the disabled

Various disabilities stand in the way of millions of Indians leading a productive and personally satisfying life. They legitimately expect governments and the citizen sector to create a more inclusive physical and social environment. The national census data on the disabled, released recently by the Registrar General of India, reveal there are more people with a visual handicap than with any other form of disability. The data generated by the census of 2001 and the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) assessment made in 2002 vary significantly on the incidence of blindness and locomotor disabilities in the population. The census data show that for 21.9 million disabled people the major burden is visual impairment; this accounts for 48.5 per cent of all disabilities, and movement handicap for 27.9 per cent. NSSO studies indicate, on the other hand, that out of a base of 18.49 million disabled citizens, 57.5 per cent have movement problems and 15.1 per cent have visual impairment. The figures need to be reconciled if they are to serve as an accurate guide to policy-making and welfare action.The data should lead to a review of the performance of government departments and statutory bodies concerned with the welfare of the handicapped.

The British Journal of Ophthalmology recently reported the finding by a team of Indian researchers that cataract is the most significant cause of blindness in the country: between 50 and 80 per cent of bilaterally blind persons suffer from it. Community-based programmes to correct cataract, the BJO paper suggests, have achieved good results, improving the ability of individuals to work and participate in social activities. The existing programmes linking the public health system, the citizen sector, and the private sector to remove cataract through surgical intervention have matured sufficiently. Better control of glaucoma, an irreversible cause of blindness, must also receive high priority. India's performance in creating a barrier-free environment for the physically handicapped and in destigmatising mental disability is far from impressive. Schools can do much better by children with disabilities by creating special facilities; for this purpose funds are available under schemes such as the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan. What needs to be done is clear enough — summon the political and social will to do it.

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