Acid attack victims to be included in Disability Act
The government is planning to bring 14 new categories, including acid attack survivors, under the Disability Act, 2016. Currently, it provides benefits to seven categories including blindness, hearing impairment, mental illness and leprosy. The new categories which will be added include muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, dwarfism, thalassemia, multiple disabilities (two or more disabilities).
The Centre is bringing in 14 new categories of physical and mental conditions, under the ambit of the Disability Act, 2016. Under the new notification, scheduled to be issued next month, acid attack survivors will be treated as disabled, a senior official in the social justice and empowerment ministry said.At present, the act provides the disability rights and benefits to seven special categories of people comprising blindness, low-vision, locomotive disability, hearing impairment, mental retardation, mental illness and leprosy.The new conditions will apply to people with cerebral palsy, dwarfism, muscular dystrophy, specific learning disabilities, deafness, autism, spectrum disorder, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, haemophilia, thalassemia, sickle cell disease, multiple disabilities (condition of any two disabilities or more) and acid attack survivors.PREVIOUS ACTSMinistry officials said the previous Right of Persons with Disabilities Act 1995 mentions only seven categories with people having 40per cent and above disability getting full benefits. In 2001, disability assessment guidelines were prepared for these categories, but there was no measure to calculate the percentage of disability in a person."The ministry therefore formed a committee to review how to assess and measure the exiting as well as the proposed disability percentage in a person and accordingly entitlements would be given to the person," the official said.The proposed move has come in from all-round praise from social activists.BENEFITS FOR ACID ATTACK VICTIMSLauding the move, Shaheen Malik of Delhi Commission for Women said: "Adding acid attack survivors into special categories is one of the best things that this government is doing."Now, this will ensure if the disabled do not get a private job, he or she can get government entitlements. Also, after an acid attack, our studies get discontinued due to financial losses, so now we can opt for higher studies too," Malik said.As per 2011 census, India has 26,810,557 people under disabled population. Government officials said once the new disability assessment guidelines come, all district medical officers will be advised to follow new norms in issuing the certificate.A ministry official said, "Classification of a person's disability is being made with the difference of 10 per cent each. The health ministry is soon going to submit its report to the social justice and empowerment ministry and it will be notified soon. Presently, people with 40per cent and above disability are getting full benefits. Till then, existing guidelines have to be followed.""All district medical officers would be trained to calculate percentage of disability and understand the new guidelines. It has been noticed that people misuse their disability for benefits, even if they are not eligible. We are making it more clear and stringent so that people with serious disability (40per cent and above) do not get neglected," the official said. The committee which drew the new guidelines worked in collaboration with the Union health ministry on the lines of global norms. This committee also formed sub-committees with experts from AIIMS, NIMHANS, Safdarjung and Ram Manohar Lohia.Also Read