DISABILITY IN INDIA  
 

Did you know that the number of disabled in India run into mind-boggling millions ?.

Here are the figures according to Report No 393, July-December, 1991 of the 47^th. Round of the National

Sample Survey of the Department of Statistics of the Government of India :
 

(Figures in thousands)  

TYPE OF DISABILITY	RURAL MALE	RURAL FEMALE	RURAL TOTAL	URBAN MALE	URBAN FEMALE	URBAN TOTAL
PHYSICAL	7442	5210	12652	2078	1421	3502
VISUAL	1539	1796	3335	308	302	670
HEARING -5 Yrs & Above	1409	1164	2573	339	330	669
SPEECH	942	557	1499	298	169	467
HEARING & SPEECH	2009	1490	3499	557	426	983
LOCOMOTOR	4396	2411	6807	1370	762	2132
EST TOTAL	326820	307537	634357	117121	104640	221761

 

The above figures are based on the 1991 Census. Concern for a more accurate and detailed picture of the incidence of disability in the country has led to attention to greater and more significant details being collected in the recently completed 2001 Census. This may throw up an even more grim picture.

What we need to recognise, is that not only is the number of the disabled is stagerring, but that 90 percent of the disabled remain untouched by measures for their welfare. We need to explore what Technology can do to reach them.

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