The Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995” has come into enforcement on February 7, 1996.
This law is an important landmark and is a significant step in the direction to ensure equal opportunities for people with disabilities and their full participation in the nation building.
The Act was made to create awareness and prventive measures for the disabled people. The act works in many field like education, rehabilitation, treatment, reservation, creating barier free environment, employment and making every disabled perosn to be self dependent.
Key Entitlements & Commitment under the PWD Act, 1990
Prevention and Early Detection of Disabilities
- Surveys, investigations and research shall be conducted to ascertain the cause of occurrence of disabilities.
- Various measures shall be taken to prevent disabilities. Staff at the Primary Health Centre shall be trained to assist in this work.
- All the children shall be screened once in a year for identifying “at-risk” cases.
- Awareness campaigns shall be launched and sponsored to disseminate information. ¢ Measures shall be taken for pre-natal, perinatal, and post-natal care of the mother and child.
Education of PWD’s
- Every child with disability shall have the right to free education till the age of 18 years in integrated schools or special schools.
- Appropriate transportation, removal of architectural barriers and restructuring of modifications in the examination system shall be ensured for the benefit of children with disabilities.
- Children with disabilities shall have the right to free books, scholarships, uniform and other learning material.
- Special schools for children with disabilities shall be equipped with vocational training facilities.
- Non-formal education shall be promoted for children with disabilities.
- Teachers Training Institutions shall be established to develop requisite manpower.
- All public educational institution receiving aid from govt. shall reserve not less than 3 percent of seats for PWD
Employment for PWD’s
Three percent of vacancies in government employment shall be reserved for people with disabilities, one percent each for persons suffering from
- Blindness or Low Vision ¢Hearing Impairment
- Locomotor Disabilities & Cerebral Plasy
- Suitable scheme shall be formulated for
- The training and welfare of persons with disabilities.
- The relaxation of upper age limit.
- Regulating the employment.
- Health and safety measures and creation of a non handicapping.
- Environment in places where persons with disabilities are employed.
- Government Educational Institutes and other Educational Institutes receiving grant from Government shall reserve at least three percent seats for people with disabilities.
- No employee can be sacked or demoted if they become disabled during service, although they can be moved to another post with the same pay and condition.
- No promotion can be denied because of impairment.
Affirmative Action
- Aids and appliances shall be made available to people with disabilities. —
- Allotment of land shall be made at concessional rates to the people with disabilities for:
- House
- Business
- Special recreational centres
- Special schools
- Research schools Factories by enterpreneurs with disabilitity
Non-discrimination
- Public building, rail compartments, buses, ships and aircrafts will be designed to give easy access to disabled people.
- In all public places and in waiting rooms, toilets shall be wheel chair accessible.
- Braille and sound symbols are also to be provided in lifts.
- All the places of public utility shall be made barrier-free by providing ramps
Research and Manpower Development of PWD’s
- Research in the following areas shall be sponsored and promoted :
- Identification and treatment of Disability
- Rehabilitation of PWD’s
- Development of Assistive Devices and equipments for the needy people.
- Vocational training
- Removing architectural barriers
- Financial assistance to the universities, and other research institutions, for undertaking research for special education, rehabilitation and manpower development
Grievance Redressal cell for PWD’s
In case of violation of the rights as prescribed in this act, people with disabilities may move an application to the
- Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities in the Centre, or
- Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities in the State
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