Parliament Question: Equal Rights for Differently Abled Persons

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT DEPARTMENT OF EMPOWERMENT OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

(DIVYANGJAN) LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO- 5246 TO BE ANSWERED ON -24/03/2026 EQUAL RIGHTS FOR DIFFERENTLY ABLED PERSONS

5246. SHRI N K PREMACHANDRAN:

Will the Minister of SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government initiate action to empower the society to resolve the issues caused due to deep rooted misconception about disability, if so, the details of action taken thereon;

(b) whether the Government has initiated action to empower the teachers, students and parents so as to ensure equal rights to differently abled persons and elimination of discrimination in schools, if so, the details of action taken thereon;

(c) whether the Government has initiated action to make the public infrastructure such as roads, buildings, transport system etc. fully accessible to the differently abled persons, if so, the details thereof;

(d) whether the Government proposes to make the digital platform and Government services disabled persons friendly, if so, the details of action taken thereon; and

(e) whether the Government initiated action to remove the educational barriers of differently abled persons, if so, the details of action taken thereon, if so, the details of action taken thereon? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE& EMPOWERMENT (SHRI B L VERMA)

(a): The RPwD Act, 2016 recognises the entitlement of the persons with disabilities to participate in the society with dignity, through the provisions non-discrimination, accessibility, reasonable accommodation, access to education, employment, reservation, effective grievance redressal system etc. The Government has devised Awareness Generation and Publicity (AGP) scheme under DEPwD to create public awareness of PwDs’ rights and achievements, so as to change the mindset about disabilities.(b): The RPwD Act, 2016 defines inclusive education as a system where children with and without disabilities learn together. Under the National Education Policy, 2020 teacher education explicitly focuses on meaningful participation by all children, including children with special needs, using Universal Design for Learning.

(c) to (d): RPwD Act, 2016 makes accessibility of physical infrastructure and the digital ecosystem a legal right of persons with disabilities. The Act requires enforcement of accessibility standards for buildings, public facilities etc., and creating barrier-free infrastructure. It further mandates that information and communication system to be accessible. The Accessible India Campaign (Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan), now subsumed under the “Scheme for Creation of Barrier Free Environment (CBFE)”, is the flagship initiative of the Government for creating barrier-free environments. It undertakes accessibility audits and retrofitting to ensure universal accessibility.

(e): The RPwD Act, 2016 provides for free education for children with benchmark disabilities (age 6-18) in neighborhood or special schools of their choice. It, inter alia, mandates appropriate governments and local authorities to ensure barrier-free access, special educators, availability of learning materials in accessible formats, examination related relaxations.

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