The rights of persons with disability bill, 2014: Implications for neurological disability.

Abstract

India ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) in 2007. This is a welcome step toward realizing the rights of the persons with disability. The UNCRPD proclaims that disability results from interaction of impairments with attitudinal and environmental barriers, which hinders full and active participation in society on an equal basis with others. Further, the convention also mandates the signatory governments to make suitable changes in the existing laws of the country, to identify and eliminate obstacles and barriers, and to comply with the terms of the UNCRPD in order to protect the rights of the person with disabilities, hence the amendments of the national laws. Hence, the Government of India drafted the Right of Persons with Disabilities Bill (RPWD Bill), 2014. It is evident that neurological disorders are emerging as priority health problems worldwide. They not only contribute to mortality but also contribute to huge morbidity. Further, shortage of neurologists, huge treatment gap, and stigma add to the burden. The situation becomes worse with regard to providing quality care, comprehensive rehabilitation, and social welfare measures to persons with neurological disability. There is no doubt that persons with neurological disability do not get adequate representation, stigmatized and discriminated across the civil societies, which hinders full and active participation in society. Hence, this article is a critique of the RPWD Bill, 2014 from the perspective of persons with neurological and neurosurgical disability. Further, this article also discusses challenges in quantifying and certifying disability in neurological disability.