The Punjab Cabinet has approved the ‘Punjab Divyangjan Shaktikaran Yojana’ to provide a barrier-free environment to persons with disabilities by making government and public-centric buildings, public transportation and websites accessible to them.

• The scheme also aims at clearing the job quota backlog for persons with disabilities under the state employment plan.
• Minister for Social Security, Women and Child Development Aruna Chaudhary said the aim was to enrol all persons with disabilities for the unique disability IDs so that they could benefit from 30 existing schemes and programmes. Only 1.17 lakh have the IDs so far.
• As per the 2011 census, in Punjab, of a population of 2.72 crore, there are 6.5 lakh disabled persons — 3.79 lakh (58 per cent) males and 2.74 lakh (42 per cent) females.
• The number of disabled persons is the highest in the age group of 20-29 (1.17 lakh).
• A majority (20 per cent) of disabled persons have the disability in movement, 12.6 per cent visual disability and another 22.4 per cent disability in hearing.
• Under Phase-I, the scheme would focus on providing to PwDs the benefits of existing schemes being run by various Government departments with a goal to reach out to all of them in the state, so as to provide services/benefits/rights in respect of healthcare, education, employment, safety and dignity in all spheres of life.
• Phase-II of the PDSY shall have new initiatives/programmes to cover those aspects and needs which have hitherto not been covered under any existing centrally/state-sponsored scheme or PwD-oriented schemes by different departments.
• In Phase-I, the scheme focuses on convergence and integration of various existing schemes and programmes to maximize their benefit for the development of PwDs with an aim to converge 30 existing schemes and programmes.
• These include Free Concessional Travel in Government Buses, Smart Ration Card Scheme under National Food security Act (NFSA) 2013, Health Insurance, Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojna (SSBY), Earning Livelihood through Punjab State Rural Livelihood Mission (PSRLM), Shop-keeping, Skill Development and Vocational Training, Scheme for Adolescent Girls (SABLA), Free Transport Facility to Students, Hostel Facilities, Free Coaching, Ashirwad Scheme, Mai Bhago Vidya Scheme, Inclusive Education for Children with Special Needs (CWSN), Physiotherapy and Speech Therapy for Children with Special Needs (CWSN), Travel & Escort Allowance, Dr. Hargobind Khurana Scholarship Scheme for brilliant students, Free Education in Residential Meritorious Schools, Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya Hostels Scheme (KGBV), Upgradation of Merit of SC Students (for both Boys & Girls), Vocational Skills Training, Provision of Support Services, Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK), Social Empowerment, Sports for Players with Disabilities, UDID Card: A single identity card for Persons with Disabilities, Financial Assistance to Disabled Persons, Free Education upto Class XII for all in the State, Backlog in Government Jobs and Children with Specific Disabilities, like Intellectual Disability.
• In Phase-II, the Department has proposed 13 new interventions, including Treatment on suffering a disability, Mobility Aids & Assistive Devices, Promoting Education, Research and Human Resource Development, Five Days of Special leave in a Calendar Year, Free Education, Empowerment of disabled girl students, Recreational activities, Home Schooling scheme for Children with Special Needs, State Award for Outstanding Work Done by Teachers with Disability, Participation in Local Government, Service Provider Scheme and Survey and Database Creation at District Level under Phase-II.
• Notably, the State Government, in keeping with the spirit of the Rights of Persons with Disability Act, 2016, is committed to ensure the protection of the rights of persons with disabilities and to provide equal opportunities to enable their full and effective participation and inclusion in society, through several ongoing and new initiatives and programmes.