As per Census 2011, in India, out of the 121 Cr population, about 2.68 Crore persons are ‘disabled’ which is 2.21% of the total population. In an era where ‘inclusive development’ is being emphasised as the right path towards sustainable development, focussed initiatives for the welfare of disabled persons are essential.

Section 2 of Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016 has listed 21 conditions as specified disabilities which broadly categorized under physical diablity, intellectual diability, mental behavior , disabilities caused due neurological conditions, blood disorders, deafblind and multiple disabilities. Inspite of State/Governments’ presence is there in the arena , their efforts are lacking in terms of reach, mobilization of resources, advocacy, understanding the specific needs of the children/adults with multiple disabilities and working on them on sustainable basis. In this backdrop, it has become morally incumbent on the parents who have disabled children to take up this cause and contribute in their own way selflessly to unlock their potential.

Multiple Disabilities mean :

Children with multiple disabilities will have a combination of various disabilities that may include mental retardation, visual, hearing, brain injury, speech, physical mobility and others. Along with multiple disabilities they can exhibit sensory losses and behavior and or social problems.

Areas of improvement :

Include intellectual functioning, adaptive skills, motor skills, sensory functioning a communication and vocational skills.

Prevention

“Prevention” means action aimed at preventing the occurrence of physical, intellectual, psychiatric or sensory impairments or at preventing impairments from causing a permanent functional limitation or disability . Prevention may include many different types of action, such as primary health care, prenatal and postnatal care, education in nutrition, immunization campaigns against communicable diseases, measures to control endemic diseases, safety regulations, programmes for the prevention of accidents in different environments.

Rehabilitation

“Rehabilitation” refers to a process aimed at children/adults with disabilities to reach and maintain their optimal physical, sensory, intellectual, psychiatric and/or social functional levels, thus providing them with the tools to change their lives towards a higher level of independence. Rehabilitation may include measures to provide and/or restore functions, or compensate for the loss or absence of a function or for a functional limitation. It includes a wide range of measures and activities from more basic and general rehabilitation to goal-oriented activities, for instance vocational rehabilitation

Equalization of opportunities

“Equalization of opportunities” means the process through which the various systems of society and the environment, such as services, activities, information and documentation, are made available to all, particularly to persons with disabilities. The principle of equal rights implies that the needs of each and every individual are of equal importance, that those needs must be made the basis for the planning of societies and that all resources must be employed in such a way as to ensure that every individual has equal opportunity for participation.

Persons with disabilities are members of society and have the right to remain within their local communities. They should receive the support they need within the ordinary structures of education, health, employment and social services.As persons with disabilities achieve equal rights, they should also have equal obligations. As those rights are being achieved, societies should raise their expectations of persons with disabilities.

“People with disabilities are vulnerable because of the many barriers we face: attitudinal, physical, and financial. Addressing these barriers is within our reach and we have a moral duty to do so…… But most important, addressing these barriers will unlock the potential of so many people with so much to contribute to the world. Governments everywhere can no longer overlook the hundreds of millions of people with disabilities who are denied access to health, rehabilitation, support, education, and employment—and never get the chance to shine.”

– Stephen Hawking