Disability rights budgeting: The need of the hour

There is growing concern within the social sector at the government’s gradual abdication of responsibility on social development issues. What started in the early 90s when India was staring into an economic crisis and the austerity measures conveniently axed expenses on social development issues, has slowly become the trend.  The ‘Nine is Mine’ campaign is a testimony to that. If you look at the meagre budget on social development issues with a disability lens, it gets even more abysmal. Disability is at the bottom of the ladder, not just for the policy makers but also in the mainstream civil society’s advocacy towards the Union Budget.

Javed Abidi is Honorary Director, National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People, New Delhi and Chairperson, Disabled People's International.

The 11th Five Year Plan (2007-2012), which is coming to an end, was a major step forward for the disability sector as it had a distinct sub-chapter on disability. More than 95% of its mandate still remains on paper. In the coming Union Budget, we would like to see a commitment from the Government of India to fulfill at least some of the remaining promises.  Our expectations are:

1: In the budget of all the Ministries, a 3% allocation has to be made for disability related issues pertaining to that particular Ministry.

2: Announce the setting up of Disability Units in all Ministries.

3: Announce the setting up of a separate Department on Disability Affairs within the Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry, as mandated in the 11th Five Year Plan.

4: Announce and allocate funds for the setting up of a National Institute on Universal Design.

5: Announce and allocate funds for the setting up of a National Institute on Close Captioning.

6: Announce and allocate funds for the setting up of a National Institute on Assistive Technology.

7: Overhaul the non-starter incentive scheme called the ‘Scheme of Providing Incentives to Employers in the Private Sector for Providing Employment to Persons with Disabilities’. In its place, the Government should come out with a scheme that gives an employer distinct tax breaks for employing people with disabilities. Introduce a Grant and Levy Scheme for Private Sector employers.

8: Initiate a disability specific Sub-programme under National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) and National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM).

9: Ensure that all  social security schemes should not only cover and ensure non discrimination of persons with disabilities  but also should take into account the extra disability costs incurred by persons with disabilities (for health care, assistive devices, transport, personal attendants, etc.). Additional allowance and reasonable accommodations should be provided for persons with disabilities. 

10: A serious commitment on the part of the Government towards making inclusive education a reality. Clear cut funds to be allocated to the Ministry of Human Resource Development to make all schools, colleges and educational institutes accessible, develop appropriate curriculum, train and recruit teachers for special needs students and ensure relevant disability support such as accessible textbooks, sign language interpreters, etc.

Disability rights group members protesting against the non-implementation of the 11th five year plan proposals.

The Union Budget has always been very disappointing to the disability sector. Year after year, despite several interventions – sometimes confrontational and sometimes collaborative, disability continues to be relegated to ‘welfare’ and ‘Social Justice’.  The fact that disability is a cross-cutting issue has still not registered with the policy makers of our country. In a country where vote bank politics determines as to who gets what, it is time that the people who decide the fate of the Nation realise that people with disabilities form 10% of our population and that’s some 100 million or so votes.

On the lines of gender budgeting, the concept of disability rights budgeting is the new buzzword in the global scenario. It is high time the Government of India incorporates this concept in their Union Budget.

National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP) has started work on disability rights budgeting in India, catalysing disabled leaders from across the country and across disabilities to work on this project.

A much talked about demand in the social sector is that we fight amongst each other for a share of the pie, whereas we should be fighting together in order to get a bigger pie. This makes ample sense. But for the disability sector that has been thriving on crumbs of the existing pie, it sure is still a long way to go.

Javed Abidi Javed Abidi is Honorary Director, National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People, New Delhi and Chairperson, Disabled People’s Internationa. He is the pioneer of the cross-disability movement in India having founded the Disabled Rights Group in 1993 to work specifically on cross-disability issues. He was recently elected as the World Chair of Disabled People’s International.