New Delhi: The UPA government has introduced the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill in the Parliament this month. Sonia Gandhi, head of the ruling Congress party, has promised disabled groups the landmark legislation will be passed, seven years after India signed the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
For the 60 million people with mental and physical disabilities in India, discrimination and stigma are daily battles. In a country where social standing is all important, having a disability often means being relegated to the bottom of the pile.
Attitudes against disabled people, particularly women, are deeply entrenched, especially in poor rural areas where families are already struggling to make ends meet and social services are few. “This whole scenario makes her more vulnerable – she is treated as a burden in the family, as a result domestic violence and sexual abuse is rampant,” said Shampa Sengupta, who has worked with the intellectually disabled in the eastern city of Kolkata for 25 years.
Under the Bill millions more people are classed as disabled, including those with autism and multiple sclerosis, which entitles them to government benefits. It will hope to enable them to fight discrimination across all areas.