Critical Appraisal of the Disability Programs in Jammu and Kashmir with Special Reference to Children

Disability is usually referred to as an individual’s disadvantage. Helping a person with disability is perceived as an act of distribution of benefits and sharing of burdens. Persons with disabilities make up a significant part of the world’s population an estimated 1 in every 10 people, amounting to 650 million people (UNFA REPORT 2009). This includes persons who are blind, deaf, or have other physical impairments, intellectual impairments, or disabilities related to mental health. In India serious efforts have been taken to improve the health and status of persons with disabilities in family and society. India is still lacking to provide qualitative rehabilitation services to persons with disabilities because most of the population is living in rural areas of India where Health Care Services and Nutritional Diets are not available for children and pregnant women. Currently India is progressing to spread rehabilitation services to all parts of the country with the help of Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI). Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI) is a statutory body under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment established in the year 1986. The RCI has taken up the responsibility for improving the quality of life of persons with disabilities through various programs covering all aspects of disability and extending the coverage of these programs to all states in a phased manner. Rehabilitation Council of India Act, 1992 deals with the development of manpower for provision of rehabilitation services for persons with disabilities. At present in the state of J&K, Programs and Policies for persons with disabilities are limited. Proper planning is lacking in Jammu and Kashmir towards the upliftment and rehabilitation of persons with disabilities. Little awareness and sensitization is among the general population regarding the rehabilitation services of persons with disabilities in Jammu and Kashmir. Vulnerable groups of society living in areas where proper facilities are not available undergo suffering at many levels. This paper will critically analyze the Disability Programs in the State of Jammu and Kashmir with special reference to children.