A 2023 report by Nifty 50 constituent companies revealed that only five out of 50 companies have more than 1% PwDs on their rolls, with four being public sector companies. File | Image Credit: The Hindu
A new hindi movies, Srikanthstarring Rajkummar Rao, tells the story of industrialist Srikanth Bolla and his journey to overcome the challenges of visual impairment. In the film, the villagers of Srikanth’s father ask the family not to invest in their son’s education or life in general. Many parents of children with disabilities also believe that their children are not worth the investment. Persons with Disabilities (Persons with Disabilities) face social stigma, marginalization in all sectors, and discrimination in education and employment; most importantly, they fight for glory. Educational institutions do not have the necessary infrastructure and support mechanisms and workplaces do not have strong diversity policies that would give proper representation to people with disabilities.
Educational and occupational status
A 2023 report by Nifty 50 constituent companies revealed that only five out of 50 companies have more than 1% PwDs on their rolls, with four being public sector companies. Additionally, data from the National Center for the Promotion of Employment for Persons with Disabilities shows that less than 1% of educational institutions in India are disability-friendly, less than 40% of school buildings have ramps, and about 17% have accessible bathrooms. Sarthak Educational Trust’s report entitled ‘Accessibility and Inclusion in Higher Education in India’ states that reservation is provided under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, in government projects, and incentives in non-government projects, but there is a clear lack of implementation. The lack of infrastructure combined with the absence of inclusive policies hinders the full participation of people with disabilities in society. Therefore, public and private institutions should invest in improving the disabled.
The Indian education system needs an inclusive framework to promote the disabled. For example, Harvard University in the US has a Local Disability Coordinator who specializes in helping people with disabilities find accommodation in the city. In addition, Stanford University in the US has a strong institutional structure that includes providing in-house support and equipment for PwDs. It also has a comprehensive resource center that supports students with disabilities. Some Indian universities provide excellent models. In 2023, Shiv Nadar University listed its disability support policy, including providing personal support to students on a case-by-case basis, depending on the student’s health condition each semester. Based on the nature and severity of the disability, the Dean of Academics decides on measures for academic accommodation and the Dean of Students for other aspects.
However, these measures are not institutionalized. Therefore, they are not uniform, leaving many students from different backgrounds outside the walls of the university. Despite the draft accessibility and inclusivity guidelines of the University Grants Commission for higher education institutions to ensure that admission announcements and advertisements are distributed in an accessible format, the presence of PwD is not very encouraging.
In terms of employment, although there is a legislative mandate to provide reservations for the disabled, and design an equal opportunity policy detailing the measures proposed by the establishment to ensure an inclusive work environment and prohibit discrimination in the workplace, employers have failed to do this. For the effective implementation of these rules, the State must go ahead and develop compliance mechanisms. For example, the model from Brazil can be replicated, where companies with more than 100 employees must have PwDs including 2%-5% of the total workforce. In case of non-compliance, the company may be subject to fines based on criteria such as the size and number of times the violation is repeated. Some countries have also developed incentive mechanisms. Japan, for example, has developed a subsidiary system for employees with disabilities.
Pursue dignity
The British artist, David Hevey, once said that “the history of the depiction of disabled people is a history of oppressive and negative representation. This means that disabled people have been presented as socially disabled people, not as disabled people with their own identity. The identity of disabled people is destroyed in many ways way. People with disabilities are considered pitiful or powerless. Many people believe that disabled people can only interact with each other. Disability is a double/triple burden.
Sociologist Colin Barnes argues that PwDs are “portrayed as objects of pity, violence, curiosity and ridicule, as a burden on society, sexually abnormal, and overall, as people incapable of community participation”. This image forms the basis of society’s attitude towards the disabled. Recently, three former cricketers mocked PwDs in a video that went viral after India won the Legends World Championship. The daily struggle and stigmatization and mockery of PwDs shows that it is impossible to call “healthy people” to treat them fairly.
Abhishek Anicca in his book, Grammar My Bodywrote, “Friends say that disabled people can be negative. I agree. We are so negative that sometimes the mind can be-bodied does not reach us. The distance is too far… So those who create the distance (who) must bridge the gap.
Rajesh Ranjan is a lawyer-researcher who writes on public law, rights, and public engagement in the Constitution
