So here it is, a RTI response speaks volumes at the first step! Very handy for researchers in the field. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Home/Lok-Sabha-Elections-2014/News/Only-38-disabled-certified-belying-parties-tall-talk/articleshow/34310879.cms TNN Apr 28, 2014 NEW DELHI: There is no dearth of promises for the disabled in the manifestos of both the Congress and BJP. But if the data on the proportion of the disabled who have been issued disability certificates is any indication, they need all the help they can get -- starting with the basics. A mere 38% of those identified as disabled in Census 2011 have been issued certificates, the basic document needed to access everything -- from education and healthcare to job reservation and all manner of welfare schemes.
It comes as no surprise that 'backward' states like Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh have covered just about 40% of the disabled population. But the shocking revelation is that the worst state is the capital, Delhi, where just 22% of the disabled population has certifi cates. Among worst performing states, just above Delhi, are Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Assam and Kerala, where barely a quarter have been issued certifi cates. In response to an application filed under the Right To Information Act filed by Rajiv Yadav, an RTI activist, the social justice ministry revealed that only 10.2 million disabled were issued a disability certificate from 2010 till June 30, 2013, which is about 38% of the 26.8 million persons identified as disabled by Census 2011. This is a small proportion of those identified by census, but even the census office admits there is huge under-counting of the disabled and their numbers could be much higher, about 70 million going by a United Nations estimate. In reality, therefore, an even smaller fraction of the disabled is likely to have got certifi cates. The best performing state is Tripura where about 98% of the identified population has disability certificates. Tamil Nadu has covered 72% of the population. The RTI query, filed in October 2013, also asked how many camps had been organized in various states for issuing disability certifi - cates, how many certifi cates were finally given and how many cases were rejected. The department of disability affairs answered almost six months later in April this year that "no such information is available". For the disability sector, streamlining of the system of certification is a major demand. "No government scheme or welfare measure is of any help if the basic eligibility document, the disability certificate, is so diffi cult to get," said Muralidharan, secretary, National Platform for Rights of the Disabled. The Rights of Persons With Disability Bill included a provision for universalization of the disability certificate is hanging fire. It is anybody's guess when the new law will be passed and when the disabled can expect to get their basic certification without undue harassment. -- Avinash Shahi M.Phil Research Scholar Centre for The Study of Law and Governance Jawaharlal Nehru University New Delhi India Register at the dedicated AccessIndia list for discussing accessibility of mobile phones / Tabs on: http://mail.accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/mobile.accessindia_accessindia.org.in Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ To unsubscribe send a message to [email protected] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in Disclaimer: 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails sent through this mailing list..
