Census 2027 to capture all 21 disability types: Athawale

Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, Ramdas Athawale, on Tuesday described the upcoming Census 2027, the first after the enactment of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016, as a historic national opportunity to recognise all 21 categories of disabilities through trained enumeration and vastly improved data collection.

Speaking at the launch of India’s first-ever handbook on disability for parliamentarians titled ‘Beyond the Visible: A Handbook on Disability Inclusion for Parliamentarians,’ prepared by the National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP), the Minister said accurate and disaggregated data will enable the government to design far more targeted and effective interventions for persons with disabilities across the country.

The event, which also featured a high-level panel discussion on inclusive health coverage and political participation, was graced by Chief Guest Athawale and several distinguished Guests of Honour including ET Mohammed Basheer, MP and Parliamentary Member of the Central Advisory Board on Disability; Eatala Rajender, MP, Lok Sabha; Dr Fauzia Khan, MP, Rajya Sabha; Dr Guru Prakash Paswan, National Spokesperson, BJP; Neha Joshi, Vice President, BJYM; Anish Gawande, National Spokesperson, NCP (SP).

Arman Ali, Executive Director, NCPEDP, said, “The Handbook is a commitment to ensure that Parliamentarians become active partners in breaking every barrier faced by persons with disabilities. This book will help translate the RPwD Act into real legislative action.”