Persons with Disabilities in India: NSS 76th round (July-December 2018)

The survey covered a total of 576,569 people – 402,589 in rural areas and 173,980 in urban areas. The report states that the prevalence of disability in India, or the percentage of persons with disability in its population, was 2.2 per cent in 2018 – 2.3 per cent in rural areas and two per cent in urban areas.

The prevalence of disability was noted to be higher in males than in females. The survey found 1.9 per cent of females and 2.4 per cent of males to be impacted by a long-term disability.

Among persons with disabilities between the ages of 3-35 years, 62.9 per cent were ever enrolled in ordinary schools and 4.1 per cent were in specialised schools or received specialised therapy (such as speech or behavioural therapy) relating to their disability.

Over a fifth of persons with disabilities reported receiving government aid for education or training, corrective surgery or related treatment, employment, disability pension, or other means of help. Roughly 1.8 per cent received aid or help from organisations other than the government and as high as 76.4 per cent did not receive any support.

The labour force participation rate among persons with disabilities over 15 years was found to be 23.8 per cent. The unemployment rate was 4.2 per cent.

About one lakh persons with disabilities were surveyed, and only 28.8 per cent had disability certificates – 24.1 per cent of females and 32.4 per cent of males.

About 3.7 per cent of persons with disabilities reported living alone, among whom 3.2 per cent lived in rural areas and 4.8 per cent in urban areas. About five per cent of women with disabilities in rural areas lived alone, compared to the two per cent of rural men with disabilities.

Roughly 62.1 per cent persons with disabilities reported having a caregiver, 0.3 per cent required a caregiver but did not have one, and 37.7 per cent did not require one.

Around five per cent of the people with disabilities surveyed could not afford to undergo their required treatment. The percentage of disabled persons who could not afford the necessary treatment was higher in the rural areas (5.7 per cent) than urban areas (3.5 per cent).

In the 365 days preceding the survey, 67.1 per cent of persons with disabilities reported facing difficulties in accessing public transport – including buses, trams, trains, metros and ferries. This was due to a range of reasons, such as inadequate public announcement systems, and the absence of ramps, grooved tiles, lifts, specialised toilet seats and signs for directions.

The percentage of those with disabilities who faced difficulties in accessing public buildings – for purposes such as assembly, education, entertainment, workplace, office or worship – was 63.9 per cent, during the 365 days preceding the survey.

As high as 57.2 per cent of persons with disabilities aged 15 years and above who were employed before the onset of their disability, lost work after developing the impairment.

The states recording the highest rate of persons with disabilities are Kerala (3.2 per cent), Odisha (3.2 per cent) and Andhra Pradesh (three per cent). At 0.8 per cent, Manipur records the lowest rate followed by Meghalaya, Nagaland and Daman and Diu at one per cent each.

States where government aid reached the maximum percentage of persons with disabilities were Puducherry (61.2 per cent), Telangana (57.1 per cent) and Dadra and Nagar Haveli (50.9 per cent). On the other hand, states ranked lowest in this list were Arunachal Pradesh (5.9 per cent), Assam (6.4 per cent) and Mizoram (eight per cent).

Focus and factoids by Gautami Kulkarni.

PARI Library's health archive project is part of an initiative supported by the Azim Premji University to develop a free-access repository of health-related reports relevant to rural India.