Vision 2030 Document-DEPwDs is placed in public domain for comments

Background:

In India, as per Census 2011, there are 2.68 crore persons with disabilities who constitute 2.21% of the total population of our country which is significant enough to address their matter in a national domain. Our Constitution envisages equality, freedom, justice and dignity of all individuals implying an inclusive society for all. Article 41 of the Constitution on India, mandates the State to make effective provision for securing the right to work, to education and to public assistance in cases of disablement within the limits of its economic capacity and development.

1. Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan), Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment was set up in May 2012 with the aims to facilitate empowerment and inclusion of the persons with disabilities and acts as a nodal agency to look after all development agenda of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) .
2. Empowerment of persons with disabilities is an inter-disciplinary process, covering various aspects namely, prevention, early detection, intervention, education, health, vocational training, rehabilitation and social integration. The vision, mission and strategies of the Department are as follows –
   • Vision: To build an inclusive society in which equal opportunities are provided for the growth and development of Persons with Disabilities so that they can lead productive, safe and dignified lives.
   • Mission: To empower Persons with Disabilities, through its various Acts/ Institutions/Organizations and Schemes for rehabilitation and to create an enabling environment that provides such persons with equal opportunities, protection of their rights and enables them to participate as independent and productive members of society.
3. To realize its Vision and achieve the Mission, the following strategies are being undertaken :-
   1. Rehabilitation Measures including Physical rehabilitation/medical rehabilitation, providing appropriate aids and appliances for reducing the impact of disabilities, Educational, Economic & Social empowerment
   2. Developing rehabilitation professionals/personnel.
   3. Improving Internal Efficiency /Responsiveness/Service Delivery and
   4. Advocating empowerment of Persons with Disabilities at various levels.

Long Term Vision by 2030:

Keeping in view the principles enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in which India is a signatory and long term Sustainable Development Goals for 15 years, the Department will primarily focus on empowerment and promotion of the social and economic inclusion of all persons with disabilities.

With appropriate schemes/Programmes to be brought in place through institutional support, adequate financial allocations and administrative arrangements , the persons with disabilities are expected to achieve a higher level of inclusion and empowerment by 2030. They will then enjoy a number of right and entitlements, and will become part of productive force in the country’s economy and society. The department has set the following specific goal to be achieved by 2030;

1. Review of existing legislations for Person with Disabilities to align with needs and rights of PwDs incorporating provisions of United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), and Incheon Strategy.
2. Formulation of a new comprehensive National Policy for Divyangjan (PwDs) 2030 incorporating all traditional measure with current requirement in a systematic and scientific manner.
3. Adoption of stringent standards for prevention, early detection, intervention, education, vocational training, rehabilitation and social integration of PwDs.
4. Physical, Economic, Social and Psychological rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities (PwD) by providing aids and assistive devices and reducing the impact of disability through institutional / community based rehabilitation services.
5. Enhancing the accessibility of built environment, transport system and information and communication eco-system through Accessible India Campaign (Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan).
6. Emphasis on Economic Empowerment of PwDs by providing self-employment, skill development and skill up-gradation opportunities.
7. Augmenting institutional infrastructure and extension of rehabilitation service outreach.
8. Establishment of new Centres/Institutes/ Universities for implementing the various strategic plan and encourage research and advocacy.
9. Maximizing the coverage of Scholarship Schemes up to each and every Students with Disabilities (SwD) belonging to economically weaker sections at 2030 standards.
10. Encouraging participation of civil societies / NGOs and other stakeholders towards a common goal.
11. Improving Interface with Persons with Disabilities

 7 YEAR STRATEGY FROM 2017-18 TO 2023-24 :

In order to convert the long term vision into implementable policy and action as a part of the National Development Agenda, the Department propose to adopt the following strategies with in the time period of 7 years –

1. Enactment of proposed Rights to Persons with Disabilities Bill and framing of its various rules for effective enforcement.
2. Formulation of a comprehensive National Policy for Divyangjan (PwDs)
3. Harmonize other laws relating to disabilities like RCI Act, National Trust Act with the proposed new legislation.
4. Framing of Rules & Regulations in accordance with amended Rehabilitation Council of India Act, 1992
5. Enhancing budgetary support, reviewing of categories of disabilities and strengthening of enforcement mechanism through Chief Commissioner for PwDs and Special Courts
6. Making Accessible India Campaign a mass movement by holding sensitization/awareness workshops, science exhibitions, youth festivals etc. and to sensitize corporate sector and different Pvt. organizations
7. Facilitating barrier-free accessibility in built environment, transport system and knowledge & ICT Eco system under Accessible India Campaign by converting 10000 Government buildings in the whole country fully accessible, 75% of Government owned public transport and 50% of private owned transport fully accessible, 75% of Central and State Government websites to meet accessibility standards, 75% of public documents to meet accessibility standards, 75% of Private Sector buildings/building structure to be made fully accessible, all Railway Stations including Railway Coaches to be made fully accessible.
8. Unique Disability Identify Card (UDID) Project to be implemented for creating a National Database of PwDs on web portal and to issue a Universal Disability Identity Card to PwDs with aim to increase significant, high quality , reliable data on disability.
9. Providing rehabilitation services to 50 lakh PwDs by National Institutes (NI) and Composite Regional Centres (CRC)s and annual enrolment of 17,000 rehabilitation personnel for HRD courses in different long term courses by NIs and CRCs and other institutions
10. Upgradation of National Institute into Centre of Excellence.
11. Establishing 50 Composite Regional Centres (CRCs) in the States besides State Capitals, having population of more than 6 crores.
12. Providing 12,50,000 Scholarships/Fellowships (fresh & renew) from 2017-18 to 2023-24 to Students with Disabilities (SwD)
13. Extending the scheme of District Disability Rehabilitation Centres (DDRC) in all the remaining districts of the country (310 districts have already been approved) alongwith to extend the coverage of District Disability Rehabilitation Centres (DDRC) upto Block level to serve as a one point help to Divyangjan of the district
14. Adopting a mission mode approach of community based rehabilitation aimed to empower PwDs taking a life cycle approach through awareness, prevention of disabilities, provision of facilities and concessions earmarked for them closer to their homes, Community based rehabilitation is proposed to be a four tier delivery system as proposed :
    Gram Panchayat: Community based approach
    Block level : Institution based approach through NGO.
    District Level: Institution based approach
    State Level: Institution based approach
15. Setting up of early Diagnostic and Intervention Centres at the District Headquarters/Other places having Government medical colleges, to initiate screening facilities for all children to identify any special need / requirement of assistive devices at early age.
16. Providing aids/assistive devices, including high-end devices to about 3 to 3.5 lakh beneficiaries each year along with Cochlear Implant Surgery to 5000 children between the age group of 1-5 years, per year. Corrective surgeries of about 5000 children each year will be undertaken.
17. Establishment of Centres for Disability Sports.
18. Setting up of 20 State Spinal Injury Centres having dedicated 12 bedded centre in the Govt. hospitals for comprehensive management of spinal injured, extension of the services of spinal injury treatment to small city level also.
19. Ensuring availability of an institute at the district level to impart Skill Development Training to PwDs during the 7 years and to provide skill training to 32.5 lakh PwDs from 2017-18 to 2023-24 under the National Action Plan for Skill Development of PwDs.
20. Enhancing Share Capital of NHFDC to increase the flow of concessional credit to PwDs also to provide grant support to NHFDC for skill training and other developmental activities for PwDs. Provide support for backend subsidy (upto 35%) to PwDs availing loan under NHFDC self employment scheme. Establishment of 05 centres by NHFDC including 01 in North East, for encouraging self employment by PwDs through live projects.
21. Establishment of State/UT Chapters of Rehabilitation Council of India in each State/UT.
22. Earmarking financial provisions for NGOs under the Scheme of Deendayal Rehabilitation Scheme, to run Special Schools for Visually Handicapped, Hearing Handicapped, Mentally Retarded in each and every district of the country and to enlist more NGOs for grants-in-aid under DDRS. Consideration of incentives for coverage with NGOs having projects under DDRS Scheme in the districts attach with international borders and insurgency/ naxalism affected areas of the country.
23. Constituting disability wise Expert Committees to review the model projects including their profile for funding under DDRS Scheme.

3 YEAR ACTION DOCUMENT (2017-18 TO 2019-20)

Three year Action Plan of the Department is as under:

1. Enactment of Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill, 2014 as comprehensive legislation to safeguard the rights and interest of persons with disabilities in India.
2. Issuing of disability certificate online through UDID so as to make the system simpler and time bound with provision of penalties in case of default.
   • 2(a) Rollout of Unique Disability Identity Card (UDID) Project in 14 States/UTs with a view to create a National Database of PwDs on web portal and to issue a Universal Disability Identity Card to PwDs
3. Enact appropriate amendment to the Rehabilitation Council of India Act, 1992 and the National Trust Act.
4. Establishment of 4 Regional Centres of Rehabilitation Council of India and Independent functioning of National Board of Examination in Rehabilitation (NBER) under the Rehabilitation Council of India
5. Accessibility audit of at least 25-50 Government Buildings in 50 cities, and making them fully accessible. Converting 50% of all the Government buildings of National Capital and all the State Capitals into fully accessible buildings. Converting 50% of Government buildings fully accessible in 10 important towns of States by July, 2019. Conducting accessibility audit of all the International and Domestic Air Ports and converting them into fully accessible airports. Ensuring 50% of railway stations in the country fully accessible.
6. Formulation of guidelines/building by-laws having mandatory provisions for accessibility. Ensuring 25% of Govt. owned public transport carriers in the country fully accessible. Conducting accessibility audit of 50 % of all Govt(both Central & State) websites and converting them into fully accessible. Ensuring that at least 50% of all public documents issued by the Central/State Govts meet accessibility standards.
7. Training and developing 500 additional sign language interpreters. Ensuring 25% of all public television programmes aired by Govt. Channels meet the accessible standards.
8. Setting up of National University for Rehabilitation and Disability Studies as part of upgradation of of National Institute of Speech and Hearing; Establishment of the National Institute of Mental Health Rehabilitation and the Establishment of the National Institute for Inclusive and Universal Design.
9. Establishment of the Indian Sign Language, Research & Training Centre. (ISLRTC).
10. Opening 3 Centres for Disability Sports at Zirakpur (Punjab), Vishakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), Gwalior, (Madhya Pradesh) in the first phase.
11. Providing 4,80,000 Scholarships/Fellowships (fresh & renew) from 2017-18 to 2019-20 to Students with Disabilities (SwD).
12. Setting up of 12 bedded Spinal Injury Centres in Govt. hospitals in 5 States Capital/UT in the first phase.
13. Enlisting and approving proposals of NGOs in the un-served districts including the international borders districts, naxalism affected areas, etc. about 150 to 200 every year
14. Providing skill training to 12.5 lakh PwDs from 2017-18 to 2019-20. Review of identification of Posts for Persons with Disabilities and ensuring proper implementation of 3% reservation of vacancies for PwDs in Government Sector.
15. Enhancing Authorized Share Capital of NHFDC from present Rs.400 Crore to Rs.1000 Crore. To provide grant support to NHFDC for implementing backend subsidy (upto 35%) under NHFDC self employment loans. To provide adequate grant support to NHFDC for skill training of 70000 PwDs and Establishing 02 centre by NHFDC having live projects for encouraging self employment by PwDs.
16. Opening of a Regional Office of NHFDC in North Eastern Region.
17. Undertaking Impact Assessment study of the Scheme to support Indian Spinal Injury Centre, New Delhi, to ascertain the feasibility of enhancing the coverage to more poor spinal injured persons and revision/modification in the Scheme, if required.

Download:

Vision Document 2030-DEPwDs is placed in public domain for comments (DOC, 90KB)