INFUSING STRENGTH IN EVERY ABILITY

On World Disability Day, India has an opportunity to restate a deeper measure of progress.

- KARTIKEYA SHARMA

A nation’s growth is not judged only by rising GDP, but by how firmly it protects dignity, builds inclusion, and opens opportunity for every citizen. Over the years, our national conversation on disability has moved away from charity and welfare toward rights, autonomy, and full citizenship. This shift reflects a more confident democracy, one that sees persons with disabilities as equal stakeholders whose participation in education, sport, and society is a matter of entitlement, not generosity.

A rights-based view treats disability not as a personal limitation but as part of the natural range of human experience - one that deserves supportive environments. This understanding lies at the heart of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016, which aligns with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and places equality, participation, and access at the core of national duty. Within this vision, education and sport stand out as the most powerful arenas through which inclusion becomes real empowerment.

Education is the strongest engine of human capability, and for persons with disabilities it must be treated not as a welfare intervention but as an enforceable right. The need is urgent. According to the 2011 Census, among children aged 5-19 with disabilities, only about 61 percent were enrolled in an educational institution, while some 27 percent had never attended school at all. Nearly one in four children with disabilities remains entirely outside the education system. The literacy picture remains bleak for many - as per the 2011 data, the literacy rate among persons with disabilities stood at 54.5 percent, significantly lower than the national average.