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The Hindu
a day ago
- Health
- The Hindu
Disability-related questions in Census must be framed differently, say rights groups
Past population counts, including the last Census in 2011, have historically undercounted people with disabilities, according to rights activists and experts who have written to the Office of the Registrar General of India, seeking a 'shift in approach' to framing disability-related questions in the upcoming Census exercise. In the past, 'simplistic' questions with negative connotations, posed by enumerators with minimal training, wthout considering accessibility concerns, have all contributed to low disclosure, they said, claiming that the 2011 Census had counted 'only 2.21%' of the country's disabled population per some estimates. They sought time to make suggestions for better methodologies for the upcoming Census. After delaying the 2021 Census, the Union government on June 16 notified dates for the next Census, to be completed by March 2027. 'Most undercounted' The 2011 Census recorded about 2.68 crore people with disabilities (PwD) across the country. In their letter to the ORGI and the Secretaries of the Home and Statistics Ministries, disability rights organisation Nipman Foundation and policy think tank The Quantum Hub noted that extrapolations from the World Health Organisation's global estimates suggested that India had at least 200 million, or 20 crore, people with disabilities – almost ten times what was counted in the Census in 2011. In the letter, Nipman Foundation founder Nipun Malhotra said that PwDs are amongst the 'most undercounted' populations in the country. He argued that the 2011 Census had under-reported the number of PwDs in the country because of several factors, including 'simplistic' questions being framed with 'negative connotations' given the existing social stigma. Mr. Malhotra said that questions that asked whether one was mentally or physically disabled, only providing space for a 'yes/no' answer, resulted in low disclosure. 'Moreover, enumerators also received minimal training in disability awareness, contributing further to under-reporting,' he said in the letter. 'Improve accessibility, question formats' He added that the Census process must also be made accessible through the use of Indian Sign Language, Braille, and screen-reader friendly documents, further urging authorities to employ interpreters to ensure meaningful participation of disabled people. The rights group argued that the Washington Group on Disability Statistics, under the UN Statistical Commission, 'offers a more functional approach'. This involves a six-question set, which Mr. Malhotra said was 'most suitable' for national Censuses. For instance, one questions is, 'Do you have difficulty seeing, even if wearing glasses?', and provides a graded response scale, from 'No difficulty at all' to 'Cannot do it at all'. The Nipman Foundation further posited that this was 'much-improved methodology compared to the present approach'. 'These changes are critical to ensuring more accurate and inclusive data collection,' it said in the letter.
NDTV
27-05-2025
- General
- NDTV
Disability Needs To Be Part Of Curriculum At The School Level, Say Experts
Despite policy promises and growing awareness, the gap between the idea of inclusive education and its ground reality remains wide in India. Educationists at NDTV Conclave underscored the urgency of creating learning environments that not only accommodate but actively support every child, regardless of ability or learning style. "An inclusive school is not one that simply admits children with diverse needs - it is one that embeds diversity, acceptance, and thoughtful planning right into its blueprint," said Neelanjana Das Majumdar, Head of Additional Learning Support at Pathways School, Noida. Highlighting the school's approach, she added, "When children come in, we assess their strengths and identify areas we can nurture. It's about creating a learner profile that supports their growth, not just testing them on fixed parameters." Das Majumdar also emphasised the importance of early intervention - often overlooked. "We have children coming in as early as three months. We focus on developmental milestones that are frequently neglected in early years. Our classrooms centre on sensory play, collaborative play, independent play - not marksheets or grades. Parents come with expectations rooted in grades, but we focus on nurturing, not evaluating." For Nipun Malhotra, disability rights activist and founder of the Nipman Foundation, the path to inclusivity was filled with personal struggles. Born with a disability, Mr Malhotra recalled the early years of rejection and isolation in mainstream schools. "My mother made it her mission to give me an inclusive life," he said. "There were people who suggested homeschooling or special schools, but her logic was clear - if I don't face the real world in school, how will I manage life after that?" After multiple rejections, Mr Malhotra was finally admitted to a school in Mumbai when he was in Class 4. "Even then, there were two types of teachers - those who treated me with sympathy, which isolated me from peers, and others who ignored me entirely. That damaged my confidence deeply. My only friend during school was my mother. It was only in college that I made my first real friend." GK Mahantesh, founder of Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled, painted a broader picture of systemic exclusion in Indian schools. "Most institutions are inaccessible - physically, pedagogically, and in terms of communication. Teachers aren't trained, special educators are few, and parents are often unaware of opportunities," he said. He said Samarthanam Trust works with over 500 government schools, 1,000 colleges, and 100 universities to build accessibility through infrastructure, awareness and engagement. "We encourage simple modifications - reasonable accommodations - and try to get school heads to engage with the issue directly. At Samarthanam, we've built step-free campuses, promoted cricket for the blind, and used music and dance to push conversations on inclusion." The panellists agreed that inclusion is not a favour or a charity - it is a fundamental shift in perspective. True inclusion is when systems evolve to meet every child where they are - not expect them to fit in.
