Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016- Divyang Sarathi the Mobile Application (Important)

Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry launched Divyang Sarathi. It is an accessible mobile application for dissemination of information to Divyangjans. Empowers Divyangjans by providing access of information pertaining to the schemes, scholarships, statutes, institutional support systems.

Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill 2016

Information Includes Details From

  • Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD)
  • Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, including acts, rules, regulations and guidelines
  • Government schemes
  • Information on outreach institutions
  • Employment opportunities

Divyangjans in India

According to the Census 2011:

  • Over 2.68 crore Divyangjans constitute more than 2.2% of the Indian population.
  • Among the total disabled in the country, 12.6 million are males and 9.3 million are females.
  • Number of disabled is more in rural than urban areas.
  • Top five disabilities include:
    • In seeing is at 48.5%
    • In movement (27.9%)
    • Mental (10.3%)
    • In speech (7.5%)
    • In hearing (5.8%)

Features of Divyang Sarathi Application

  • Application compliant with the principles of UNCRPD for Universal Access and provisions of Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.
  • Integral part of the ICT for Accessible India Campaign launched in December 2015.
  • Features include:
    • Audio notes (text-to-voice conversion) converting written information into audio file
    • Adjustable font size altered based on user՚s requirement
    • Developed bilingually- Hindi and English.
    • Accessible by any Android User even access to the internet.

Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016

The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill - 2016 replaced the PwD Act, 1995 enacted 21 years ago. Salient features include:

  • Disability now an evolving and dynamic concept.
  • Disabilities increased from 7 to 21 with Government having power to add more:
    • Blindness
    • Low-vision
    • Leprosy Cured persons
    • Hearing Impairment (deaf and hard of hearing)
    • Locomotor Disability
    • Dwarfism
    • Intellectual Disability
    • Mental Illness
    • Autism Spectrum Disorder
    • Cerebral Palsy
    • Muscular Dystrophy
    • Chronic Neurological conditions
    • Specific Learning Disabilities
    • Multiple Sclerosis
    • Speech and Language disability
    • Thalassemia
    • Hemophilia
    • Sickle Cell disease
    • Multiple Disabilities including deaf and blindness
    • Acid Attack victim
    • Parkinson՚s disease
  • Speech and Language Disability and Specific Learning Disability added for the first time and Acid Attack Victims have been included.
  • Dwarfism, muscular dystrophy now a separate class of specified disability.
  • Disabilities now also include three blood disorders- Thalassemia, Hemophilia and Sickle Cell disease.
  • Responsibility now on governments to ensure that the persons with disabilities enjoy their rights equally with others.
  • Bill also provides additional benefits-
    • Reservation in higher education, government jobs
    • Reservation in allocation of land, poverty alleviation schemes
    • Every child with benchmark disability between the age group of 6 and 18 years now has right to free education provided by government funded educational institutions and government recognized institutions.
    • Accessible India Campaign stresses accessibility in public buildings (both Government and private) in a prescribed period.
    • Reservation in government establishments now increased from 3% to 4% for certain class disabilities.
  • Broad based Central & State Advisory Boards on Disability will serve as apex policymaking bodies.
  • Office of Chief Commissioner of Persons with Disabilities now strengthened with 2 commissioners and an Advisory Committee comprising of not more than 11 expert members.
  • State Commissioners of Disabilities are now assisted by Advisory Committee comprising of not more than 5 expert members.
  • The Chief Commissioner and State Commissioners will and Grievance Redressal agencies and monitor implementation of the Act.
  • District level committees constituted by the State Governments will address local concerns of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) .
  • National and State Fund will provide financial support to the persons with disabilities- will subsume existing National Fund for Persons with Disabilities and the Trust Fund for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities.
  • Bill provides penalties for offences committed against persons with disabilities
  • Special Courts in each district to handle cases concerning violation of rights of PwDs.

New Act brings India in line with the United National Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) , to which India is a signatory. New law enhances the Rights and Entitlements of Divyangjan providing effective empowerment and inclusion.

Examrace Team at Aug 20, 2021