Social Implications of People with Disabilities in India – Critical Review on Challenges and Solutions

Abstract

Disability as an identity and entity exists at the intersection of multiple vulnerabilities — social, economic and gender, with each facet requiring careful consideration when conceptualising action for equity. Globally, there are 1.3 billion people live with some form of disability of them, about 80 percent live in developing countries further about 70 percent of them live in rural areas. Current systems are designed for persons without disabilities and end up being exclusionary to people with disabilities, resulting in them experiencing higher instances of poverty, lack of access to education and opportunities, informality and other forms of social and economic discrimination. Enhancing Employment Opportunities, Improving Accessibility and Infrastructure, Raising Awareness and Sensitivity, Strengthening Legal and Policy Support are some of the solutions. This paper is focused to provide a critical review on social implications and some solutions to overcome these implications.