Rise in literacy among disabled

• According to Census 2011 data released by the Registrar General of India (RGI), the percentage of literates in the disabled population increased for both males and females between 2001 and 2011 as compared to during 1991-2001, with their levels of attaining higher education also seeing a rise.
• Of the total disabled population of 2.68 crore in Census 2011, 1.46 crore or 54.5 per cent were literates. However, only 8.5 per cent of literate disabled people were graduates or had attained even higher levels of education.
• Between 2001 and 2011, the remaining 1.22 crore or 45.5 per cent of the disabled population were illiterate, according to Census 2011 data on disabled population by type of disability, educational level and sex.
• In the previous decade, 1991 to 2001, literates formed 49.3 per cent of the disabled population, with the remaining 50.7 per cent being illiterates.
• However, the percentage of disabled females who were literate rose during 2001-2011 to 44.6 percent from 37.3 percent in the previous decade, while the percentage of disabled males who were literate rose to 62.4 per cent during this period from 58.1 per cent in the previous decade.
• Among the disabled who were literate, the percentage who had attained middle school education but had not received secondary education rose from 16 per cent during 1991-2001 to 16.7 per cent during 2001-2011.
• The percentage of disabled persons who had attained secondary but below graduate education similarly rose from 20 per cent to 23.6 per cent. Among disabled and literate males, 24.9 per cent fell in this educational bracket during 2001-2011, while the corresponding percentage for disabled females was 21.2 per cent.
• The percentage of disabled persons who had completed their graduation or higher levels of education rose to 8.5 per cent from 6 percent in the previous decade.
• As per Census 2011, of disabled females who were literate, 7.7 per cent were graduates or had attained even higher levels of education; and of the disabled male population who were literates, 9 per cent had completed graduation or received even higher levels of education.
• Of the literate disabled population during 2001-2011, 24.3 per cent had been educated till the ‘primary but below middle stage’, down from 26.4 in the previous decade.
• There has been an increase in literacy among disabled in both rural and urban areas.
• In urban areas, 68% disabled people are literate while in rural areas 49% of them are literate.
• If we do the gender comparison of both the areas:
• In urban areas 72% disabled males and 61% females are literate. In rural areas the figure stands at 58% and 38% respectively for males and females.

Analysis:

• The number might seem good at the face but when compared to the overall literacy rate of 75% of the country, these figures still show a poor picture.
• There is a large gender gap in literacy amongst disable in rural areas which must be filled.
• India's Disability Act of 1995 provides various facilities for both children and adults with disabilities in India. Under the Disabilities Act of India, children with disabilities have the right to free education until they reach the age of eighteen in schools that are integrated, or in 'special,' schools. India every, 'panchayat,' is provided funding in order to build roads, schools, and public ramps for people with disabilities by the government.
• Three-percent of all government jobs in India are reserved for people with disabilities, and India's Disability Act includes affirmative action for people with disabilities.
• India has ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; the nation has done little to protect the rights of people with disabilities in accordance with the Convention.
• In the 2011 census, 92 per cent of the nearly 25 crore households in the country had no people with disabilities. Over two crore households had one or more people with disabilities. Almost 71 per cent of these households (1.46 crore) were in rural areas while the remaining 60.5 lakh-plus households were in urban areas.
• But India is still far behind to solve the daily problems faced by disabled In India, only 2% of disabled people are self-dependent. Contrast this with our neighbour China, where 80% of disabled people can function independently.

By: Vishal