Context: There need to be more inclusive opportunities and employment in the rural areas as a majority of persons with disabilities live here. The idea of empowerment and inclusion regarding Disability needs an orientation shift to provide more fruitful. From ‘For’ to ‘By’.

‘For’ and ‘By’

• “For” is often used when a person is receiving something and “By” is to “identify the agent performing an action”.

• This difference is crucial when it comes to disability inclusion, as the approach is completely different if it is “by” persons with disabilities being a part of the process and not “for” them, without them in the process.

Why?

• Ensuring inclusive opportunities and employment in rural areas is imperative, considering the majority of persons with disabilities reside in these regions.

Disability as a Multifaceted Challenge

• Disability, as a complex amalgamation of social, economic, and gender vulnerabilities, demands nuanced approaches for equitable solutions.

• Globally, 1.3 billion people grapple with disabilities, with 80% residing in developing countries and 70% in rural areas.

• The existing systems often perpetuate exclusion, leading to heightened instances of poverty, limited educational access, and social and economic discrimination.

The Significance of 'By' in Disability Inclusion

• Understanding the linguistic nuances, the term 'by' in disability inclusion signifies the active participation of persons with disabilities in the process, a departure from the passive 'for' them approach.

• This distinction is pivotal for fostering genuine inclusion.

The Economic Imperative of Inclusion

• The International Labour Organization (ILO) underscores that integrating persons with disabilities into the economy can contribute to a global GDP boost of 3% to 7%.

• Despite the ideal of equal opportunities, the current employment landscape falls short, reinforcing stereotypes and hindering access to the job market.

• The current employment scenario is limited, providing fewer jobs for persons with disabilities and perpetuating stereotypes that create further barriers for people with disabilities to access the labour market.

• It is also in direct contravention of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which advocates changing attitudes and perceptions towards persons with disabilities and viewing inclusion from a social development dimension.

• Disability inclusion is rooted in assuring the rights of persons with disabilities and recognising the economic benefits of inclusion.

Challenges

Cost of Exclusion

• Current systems are designed for persons without disabilities and end up being exclusionary to people with disabilities.

• It results in them experiencing higher instances of poverty, lack of access to education and opportunities, informality and other forms of social and economic discrimination.

Limited Employment

• The current employment scenario is limited, providing fewer jobs for persons with disabilities and perpetuating stereotypes that create further barriers for people with disabilities to access the labour market. 

Political Exclusion

• India does not have any policy commitment that is aimed at enhancing the political participation of disabled people.

• The lack of live aggregate data on the exact number of disabled people in every constituency only furthers their marginalisation. 

• Disabled people are not represented enough at all three levels of governance. 

Challenges Amplified in Rural Areas

• In India, governmental initiatives, such as the Unique ID for Persons with Disabilities (UDID) card, exist.

• However, awareness and last-mile connectivity remain crucial, especially in rural areas where challenges are exacerbated.

• Persons with disabilities in rural settings often face limited educational and employment opportunities and are viewed through a charitable lens, undermining their agency.

The Role of the Private Sector

• Acknowledging the pivotal role of the private sector, a robust legal framework alone is insufficient.

• Engaging companies and building their confidence in hiring and retaining workers with disabilities is essential.

• Collaboration with employers’ federations and trade unions further enhances the potential for promoting disability inclusion.

The SPARK Project

• The collaboration between ILO, IFAD, and the Women’s Development Corporation in Maharashtra manifests in the SPARK project.

• This initiative empowers persons with disabilities by training them as Disability Inclusion Facilitators (DIFs), fostering awareness, and breaking down barriers.

• The project has successfully instigated a positive shift in attitudes at societal and administrative levels.

Towards Social Justice

• The goal of social justice necessitates the inclusion of persons with disabilities in all facets of development, starting with rural areas.

• Evidence underscores the bidirectional link between disability, poverty, nutrition, and hunger, emphasizing the need for inclusive opportunities and employment in rural regions.

• Amid historical marginalization and a setback in achieving Sustainable Development Goals, a profound commitment to prioritizing the voices and needs of persons with disabilities is paramount in global development agendas.

Key Suggestions

Need of inclusion

• The goal of social justice cannot be achieved without the inclusion of persons with disabilities in all spheres of development, starting with rural areas and rural resilience. 

• Evidence shows a bi-directional link to poverty, nutrition, and hunger, and as a consequence, there needs to be more inclusive opportunities and employment in rural areas. 

Awareness & capacity building

• In India, the Central and State governments have various schemes for persons with disabilities and a unique id for persons with disabilities (UDID) card, established as part of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act (2016). 

• The first step is awareness to ensure last-mile connectivity of the benefits enumerated for people with disabilities by the government, which begins with the capacity-building of community leaders who can advocate for this at the grass-roots level.

Prioritising inclusion

• Given the historic marginalisation of persons with disabilities and the backsliding of the progress on the Sustainable Development Goals, a fundamental shift in commitment, solidarity, financing and action is critical. 

• It is about time that the voices and needs of persons with disabilities be prioritised at the centre of the global development agenda.

Role of private sector

• The private sector holds a key in promoting the employment of persons with disabilities. 

• In addition to a robust legal framework, experience shows the importance of engaging the private sector and building the confidence of companies to hire and retain workers with disabilities. 

• Additionally, engagement of employers’ federations, including those representing small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as with trade unions, has shown to have great potential to promote the employment of persons with disabilities.

Road Ahead

• A bottom-up approach to disability inclusion is crucial to build productive pathways out of poverty and ensure that persons with disabilities are recognised as active members of society and the economy.

• The inclusion of persons with disabilities into the economy can help boost global GDP between 3% to 7%, as per the study by the International Labour Organization (ILO), “The price of exclusion:

• The economic consequences of excluding people with disabilities from the world of work”.

• The need of the hour is proper sensitization of the community towards the issues faced by PwDs, as well as to remove the social stigma attached to their integration into the society.