Context:
Persons with disabilities (PwDs) continue to face widespread social stigma, marginalization across all sectors, and discrimination in education and employment, all of which undermine their dignity. Educational institutions often lack the infrastructure and support systems needed for PwDs, while workplaces fall short in implementing robust diversity policies that would ensure proper representation of PwDs.
Relevance:
GS2- Welfare Schemes for Vulnerable Sections of the population by the Centre and States and the Performance of these Schemes
Mains Question:
Educational institutions lack the necessary infrastructure and workplaces lack robust diversity policies to give proper representation to persons with disabilities. Discuss. (10 Marks, 150 Words).
Education for PwDs:
- According to a 2023 report on Nifty 50 companies, only five out of the 50 companies have more than 1% of PwDs on their payroll, with four of these being public sector companies.
- Additionally, data from the National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People reveals that less than 1% of India’s educational institutions are disabled-friendly.
- Less than 40% of school buildings have ramps, and only about 17% have accessible restrooms.
- The Sarthak Educational Trust’s report, “Accessibility and Inclusion in Higher Education in India,” highlights that while the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, provides for reservations in government jobs and incentives in non-government jobs, implementation is severely lacking.
- The combination of inadequate infrastructure and insufficient inclusive policies severely limits the full participation of PwDs in society. Therefore, both public and private institutions must invest in uplifting PwDs.
Changes Needed in the Indian Education System:
- The Indian education system needs an inclusive framework to better support PwDs. For instance, Harvard University in the U.S. has Local Disability Coordinators who specialize in helping PwDs find accommodations in the city.
- Similarly, Stanford University has a strong institutional structure that provides housing support and devices for PwDs, along with a comprehensive resource center for students with disabilities.
- Few Indian universities offer such robust models. In 2023, Shiv Nadar University introduced a disability support policy that provides personalized support to students based on their health condition each semester.
- Depending on the nature and severity of the disability, the Dean of Academics decides on academic accommodations, while the Dean of Students addresses other aspects.
- However, these measures are not standardized across institutions, leaving many students from diverse backgrounds unsupported.
- Despite the University Grants Commission’s draft guidelines for accessibility and inclusivity in higher education, which aim to ensure that admission announcements and advertisements are circulated in accessible formats, the representation of PwDs in Indian institutions remains low.
Employment for PwDs:
- Regarding employment, despite legal requirements mandating reservations for PwDs and the creation of equal opportunity policies aimed at fostering an inclusive work environment and preventing workplace discrimination, many employers have not complied.
- To ensure these regulations are effectively enforced, states should take proactive steps to develop a compliance mechanism.
- An example to consider is Brazil, where companies with more than 100 employees are required to have PwDs make up 2%-5% of their workforce.
- Failure to comply can result in fines, with the amount determined by factors such as the company’s size and the frequency of violations.
- Additionally, some countries have introduced incentive systems. For instance, Japan offers subsidies to companies that employ individuals with disabilities.
Pursuit of Dignity for PwDs:
- The pursuit of dignity for PwDs remains a challenge. British artist David Hevey once noted that “the history of the portrayal of disabled people is the history of oppressive and negative representation.”
- This has led to PwDs being viewed not as individuals with their own identities but as flawed versions of able-bodied people.
- Society often sees PwDs as pitiable or helpless, and there is a common misconception that they can only form relationships with others who are disabled.
- When combined with factors like caste or gender, disability can create a double or triple burden.
- Sociologist Colin Barnes has observed that PwDs are frequently depicted as objects of pity, violence, curiosity, and ridicule, as burdens on society, sexually abnormal, and generally incapable of participating in community life. This negative portrayal shapes societal attitudes towards PwDs.
- For example, a recent video featuring three former cricketers mocking PwDs went viral after India won the World Championship of Legends.
- Such incidents, along with the daily struggles and stigmatization PwDs face, highlight the failure of so-called “able-bodied people” to treat them with equal dignity.
Conclusion:
In his book ‘The Grammar of My Body’, Abhishek Anicca writes, “My friends say disabled people can be negative. I agree. We are so negative that sometimes the able-bodied mind never reaches us. That distance is too far… It is thus those who are creating the distance [who] should bridge the gap.”
