The Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016, was enacted in India on December 28, 2016, and it came into force on April 19, 2017. This Act replaced the previous Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act of 1995 (PwD Act of 1995) in the country.
The Act has 17 chapters and 102 sections, and through this Act, the barriers and obstacles faced by persons with disabilities are bound to be shattered.
Mizoram state followed suit, and the Act was rightfully implemented in the region along with other states. If we look into the Census of 2011, there are 15,160 persons with disabilities in Mizoram, and that accounts for only 1.38 per cent of the state’s population.
If implemented in a strict and vigilant manner by the state government, this Act can uplift all these persons with disabilities within a matter of time. But, is that really possible in reality? Let us conduct a detailed analysis of the Act’s awareness and educational aspects.
The Government of Mizoram has stood beside persons with disabilities and will continue to do so in the future. The Act has also mentioned in detail the various strategies to uplift and empower them.
However, for a state like Mizoram, many of the chapters and sections in the Act cannot be implemented within a short span of time. There is a dire need to change the entire existing systems in many areas in order for the Act to be “effective.” This is highly visible in the field of awareness and education sections.
Firstly, the failure of the Act lies in limited awareness, not only among the general public but also among persons with disabilities and their families. The promises and measures of the Act are a success, no doubt in that, but what good is an Act if the intended persons are not even aware of its existence?
During my research work among 200 persons with disabilities in a government project in the year 2021, and another research work among 163 women with disabilities, most of the responses, which account for around 70 per cent, are not at all aware of the Act’s existence. Isn’t that strange? There is no point in claiming the benefits of the Act for persons with disabilities if they themselves are not even aware of it.
This can be attributed to the first reason for the failure of the Act in the region. The government plays its part effectively and is working tirelessly to promote inclusive development for persons with disabilities, but the findings of the research work show the need to increase awareness of the Act in and around the state.
At the same time, persons with disabilities and their caregivers should also make themselves aware of the Act and the various benefits associated with it.
As a fully functional literate state, this shouldn’t be a matter of excuse. Even if persons with disabilities have trouble acquiring the information, their caregivers should be cautious, and also, their neighbours and their friends can all play an active part in disseminating information related to the RPwD Act, 2016.
A sole reliance on the government will only lead to a delay in information access, as the spread of awareness requires the joint collaborative efforts of a “bottom-up approach.”
In terms of education, Sociologist Herbert Spencer once said, “Education is complete living.” At this point, “complete living” for persons with disabilities is still far-fetched.
Steps are taken at the administrative level of the government, but the provision of complete living for persons with disabilities may not be something that can be achieved at the click of a button.
Chapter III of the Act states that no school should deny admission to any student based on their disabilities.
This is followed by the strict requirement to provide an accessible campus and reasonable accommodation. These strategies work on paper, but reality paints a different picture.
Mizoram, being a hilly area, accommodates schools and educational institutions with arduous locations. This makes access difficult not only for persons with disabilities but also for older persons and young children.
Schools and other educational institutions are without exception. Even though mainstream schools never verbally deny admission to students with disabilities, the nature and accessibility of their campuses prevent them from seeking admission.
In many schools, the locations do not even permit the construction of ramps and “easy access entrances” for students with disabilities, which hinders them from seeking admission to many mainstream schools.
Another point lies in the absence of special educators in all mainstream schools. Even though the Act requires schools to provide special educators, the actual practice is still burdensome in the state. Lack of funds and trainees are the primary reasons.
If we look at the data of the research work that I conducted between 2021 and 2024, it is evident that only 20 women achieved education beyond the “graduate level” against the total of 163 women with disabilities.
Most of the women only reached the level of primary and middle school education and had dropped out altogether due to the nature of their disabilities, combined with loopholes in the existing systems. It is thus evident that education for persons with disabilities is still unsatisfactory, and the state still has miles to go towards effective implementation of the Act.
The success of the effective implementation of the RPwD Act, 2016, lies not only in the hands of the government, but it is crucial to note that every citizen of the state has a role to play in it.
The robust collaboration at the level of government with community leaders and citizens can transform the landscape and pave the way for the success of the Act’s implementation.
This calls for strict vigilance and sincerity, along with allocating proper budgets from the side of the government, together with conscious efforts to be aware of the Act and critical analysis from the side of persons with disabilities, which can, in turn, bring about inclusive development for persons with disabilities in Mizoram.
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