Census 2027 offers historic opportunity to record disability data: Athawale

New Delhi: Union Minister Ramdas Athawale on Tuesday said the upcoming census 2027 provides a “historic opportunity” to obtain accurate data on all 21 recognized categories of persons with disabilities and formulate targeted policies for persons with disabilities.Speaking at the launch of the handbook titled “Beyond the Visible: Handbook on Disability Inclusion for Parliamentarians”, Asawale said the survey will be the first census conducted after the enactment of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.

He stressed that improved statistical and disaggregated data would help governments design effective interventions and ensure better inclusion of persons with disabilities.“The Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016 is a landmark reform that expands recognition of 21 types of disabilities, moves from a welfare-based approach to a rights-based approach and aligns India with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. For the first time, the law explicitly recognizes political barriers as a major obstacle faced by persons with disabilities,” said Atharwale, Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment.

The minister also mentioned the key initiatives of the government such as the Accessible India Campaign, Unique Disability ID (UDID) portal, skill development program under PM-DAKSH and healthcare efforts under Ayushman Bharat aimed at mainstreaming persons with disabilities.Atharwal said the launch of the manual prepared by the National Center for Promotion of Employment of Persons with Disabilities (NCPEDP) and Bajaj Finserv and Tuesday’s roundtable discussion will further mainstream discussions on disability rights and inclusive policy making within and outside Parliament.Arman Ali, executive director of NCPEDP, said the manual is designed to help lawmakers translate legal provisions into actionable policies and address barriers faced by people with disabilities.“This book will help transform the RPwD Bill into real legislative action and make inclusivity a reality in Indian democracy,” he said.Citing a recent NCPEDP survey, Ali said more than 80 percent of people with disabilities lack health insurance due to high premiums, excluding disability-related treatment and denial of coverage, and stressed the need for more inclusive health policies.“In line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for inclusive healthcare, schemes like Ayushman Bharat must explicitly cover people with disabilities and provide comprehensive life-long support, including assistive devices, rehabilitation and disability-specific care.“The government is committed to removing these barriers so that people with disabilities do not face catastrophic out-of-pocket costs,” Ali added.The event also held a panel discussion on inclusive health insurance and political participation, attended by parliamentarians and political leaders including Central Advisory Council on Disability MP ET Mohammed Basheer, Lok Sabha MP Eatala Rajender, Lok Sabha MP Fauzia Khan, BJP spokesperson Guru Prakash Paswan, BJP youth wing vice-president Neha Joshi and SP spokesperson Anish Gawande Gawande).