Rajya Sabha has a heart; passes disability Bill
It is good that the Rajya Sabha, for the first time since the Winter Session commenced on November 16, came together to mean serious legislative business and passed the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill, 2014, that too without any discussion. It was heartening that leaders, both in the Opposition and the Government, displayed solidarity, keeping political differences aside, and termed this piece of social legislation as “crucial” to empowering the disabled community.
On account of the long list of Bills that had been lined up before the House in the Winter Session, awaiting clearance, it can be said that this Bill was lucky enough to see the light of the day. The new disability Bill, which will replace the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995, had been in the pipeline since 2014. After being introduced in the Rajya Sabha, it was sent to a Parliamentary Standing Committee, which submitted its recommendations in May 2015. It finally got clearance from the Cabinet on November 30 this year. Since then, it was introduced in the Upper House four times, but failed to find its way. Now, it is just a step away from becoming a Bill, awaiting clearance from the lok Sabha. This should not pose a problem and must be done at the earliest.
The new Bill, which complies with the UN Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities, will come as a major boost to the disabled community which has not only faced exclusion in society, at public places and offices, but was also stigmatised by the people. It is also a victory for various organisations who had been fighting for their cause, often staging protests for the passage of this Bill. Among various amendments, the new Bill not only seeks to improve accessibility facilities but goes a step further to accord stringent punishment to those found discriminating against the disabled. It expands on the areas of disability.
While the 1995 Act recognised only seven disabilities viz, blindness, low vision, leprosy-cured, hearing impairment, locomotor disability, mental retardation and mental illness, the new Bill takes the number to 21, and includes cerebral palsy, haemophilia, multiple sclerosis, autism and thalassaemia among others. It also recognises acid attacks and Parkinson's disease as disabilities. According stringent punishment for those violating the rules of the Act, the new Bill provides for a jail term of up to six months to two years and a fine ranging between Rs50,000 and five lakh rupees. Also, it gives them equal rights and opportunities, including the right to education and employment. While setting the benchmark for reservations in higher educational institutions and in Government offices, the Bill proposes a ceiling limit from three per cent to five per cent. In what can be called a boost to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Accessible India Campaign, to ensure accessibility for the disabled, the Bill makes it mandatory for all public and Government establishments to make their buildings accessible to the differently abled. While the Bill will make the disabled people eligible for their rights, and will also make people think twice before they indulge in discriminatory practice, implementation and not just legislation holds the key to success.