Disabilities Act

Disabilities Act, 1995 was established on 7 th February, 1996. This Act was made to ensure the equal rights for all the disabled people and their active part in the building of the nation. The Act offers the promotional and preventive measures such as employment, job reservation, education, manpower and research development, vocational training, unemployment funds for the people with disabilities, creation of healthy environment and special insurance schemes for people with disabilities.

Main Rules and Regulations of the Disability Act

Education

This Act provides the various steps to seek free education. Some of the rights taken in field of education are:-

• Disabled children shall be encouraged to free uniforms, books, learning material and scholarships.
• Free education shall be provided to every disabled child up to 18 years in various schools.
• Non-formal education shall be ensured for disabled children.
• Changes in the checking system and building of study courses, elimination of construction discrimination and appropriate transportation shall be promoted for the children having disabilities.

Non-Discrimination

The Act also provides that disabled people should not be discriminated against any field. These people should have the following rights such as:-

• Toilets shall be wheel chair accessible in all the waiting rooms and all public places.
• Buses, public buildings, air-crafts and rail compartments should be designed in such a manner which provides an easy exit to the disabled people.
• All the public utility places shall be made free of any discrimination by providing ramps.

Employment

The following steps were taken in regard to employment and they are:-

• Appropriate plans shall be developed for the reduction of maximum age limit, training and welfare of disabled people and regulating the employment.
• About 3 percent of all poverty reduction plans shall be reserved for the disabled people.
• About 3 percent of government vacancies reserved for the disabled people and 1 percent vacancies for those people who suffer from hearing impairment, vision impairment etc.

Social Security

This Act provides various social security benefits to the disabled people such as:-

• Insurance claim for the disabled government employees benefit
• Financial assistance to non-government organizations for rehabilitation of disabled people
• Provision for the disabled people with the allowance who are unemployed or who are registered in the employment exchange above one year

Prevention and Early Detection of Disabilities

Various preventions were taken under this Act and they are:-

• Awareness operation shall be launched and sponsored to spread information.
• All the children shall be screened once in a year.
• Investigations, surveys and research shall be directed to discover the cause of occurrence of disabilities.
• Measures shall be taken for pre-natal and post-natal care of the mother and child.

Manpower and Research Development

This Act provides various measures to promote research in various fields such as:-

• Evolution of communication tool
• Impediment of Disability
• On site changes of factories and offices
• Job identification
• Rehabilitation including CBR