According to the 2011 Census, the number of disabled in India stands at 2.68 crore, or 2.21 per cent of the population. The new Disability Bill is more likely to make a larger number of people eligible for rights and entitlements by reason of their disability since it recognises more disablities as compared to the 1995 Act. Apart from this, the Bill also complies with the UN Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities. One of the major highlights of the new bill is that it covers 19 conditions, instead of seven disabilities specified in the Act. While the 1995 Act recognised 7 disabilities — blindness, low vision, leprosy-cured, hearing impairment, locomotor disability, mental retardation and mental illness, the 2014 Bill was expanded to cover 19 conditions– including cerebral palsy, haemophilia, multiple sclerosis, autism and thalassaemia among others. The amended version also recognises two other disabilities — resulting from acid attacks and Parkinson’s Disease. Apart from listing these disabilities, the Bill has also laid down provisions to allow the central government to notify any other condition as a disability.
