Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Written in plain language to promote general understanding. This is educational information, not legal advice. Based on Indian central (Union) law — Constitution of India, central Acts of Parliament, and Supreme Court decisions.
Indian Central Law
What is this right?
The RPWD Act, 2016 significantly expanded protection for persons with disabilities in India, covering 21 types of disabilities.
- Covered disabilities: Physical, intellectual, psychiatric, sensory, and multiple disabilities — including autism, cerebral palsy, intellectual disability, specific learning disabilities, mental illness, haemophilia, thalassaemia, sickle-cell disease, and others (21 categories).
- Disability Certificate: Required to access benefits — issued by a medical authority designated by the state government. Persons with 40%+ disability are entitled to a certificate.
- Reservation in government employment: 4% reservation in government jobs for persons with benchmark disabilities (40%+) — 1% each for blindness/low vision, deaf/hard of hearing, locomotor disability/cerebral palsy/dwarfism, and autism/intellectual disability/mental illness/multiple disabilities.
- Reservation in education: 5% seats reserved in government educational institutions for students with benchmark disabilities.
- Accessibility: All public buildings and transport systems must be made accessible — the government must set accessibility standards and all establishments must comply within a specified timeframe.
- Chief Commissioner / State Commissioner: Every state has a Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities who receives and investigates complaints under the RPWD Act.
When does it apply?
- You have a disability and are being denied access to public buildings, transport, or services.
- You are denied reservation benefits in education or government employment.
- You need a disability certificate or have been denied one improperly.
What should you do?
- Obtain a Disability Certificate from the designated medical authority (typically a government hospital medical board) in your district — this is essential to access all statutory benefits.
- Register on the UDID (Unique Disability ID) portal (swavlambancard.gov.in) — the UDID Card is a national identification document for persons with disabilities and the gateway to all government schemes.
- If denied reservation in education or employment, file a complaint with the Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities in your state.
- Contact the Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities (Ministry of Social Justice: disabilityaffairs.gov.in) for central government matters.
What should you NOT do?
- Do not rely solely on a doctor's private certificate for RPWD Act benefits — the statutory Disability Certificate and UDID Card from the government are required for most schemes.
- Do not accept discrimination in public spaces as normal — denial of accessibility is actionable under the RPWD Act.
- Do not miss the time-limited concessions in competitive examinations — most exam bodies offer extra time (minimum 20 extra minutes per hour) and scribe allowance for persons with benchmark disabilities; apply for these accommodations before the exam.
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