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Unit 32: Rehabilitation of Exceptional Children: Role of Community, Role of Government

in cities, District Rehabilitation Centres (DRC) for rural population in select areas and Regional Notes
Rehabilitation Centres (RRC) in four major cities of the country.
According to a government order a 3% reservation in jobs has been provided for the blind, deaf and
physically impaired, in Grade C and D posts, so that each group avails a quota of 1% reservation.
Certain jobs have been identified, and the decision made to post people with disabilities in jobs near
their place of residence. Age and eligibility criteria may be waived to fit a person with disability in a
given post.

There are more than 3,000 special schools in India today.

32.3.3 Legislative actions
The last decade of the 20th century saw the enactment of three legislations for the rehabilitation and
welfare of people with disabilities.
The Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act
was passed in 1995. This is an important legislation that provides for both preventive and promotional
aspects of rehabilitation such as education, employment and vocational training, reservation, research
and human resource development, creation of barrier-free environment, inclusion and independent
living.
The Rehabilitation Council of India Act 1992 led to the establishment of the Rehabilitation Council of
India (RCI). The RCI is responsible for standardising and monitoring training courses for rehabilitation
professionals, granting recognition to institutions running courses, and maintaining a Central
Rehabilitation Register of rehabilitation professionals. The RCI Act was amended in 2000 to give the
RCI the additional responsibility of promoting research in rehabilitation and special education.
The National Trust Act 1999 provides for the constitution of a national body for the welfare of people
with autism, cerebral palsy, mental retardation, and multiple disabilities. The Act mandates promotion
of measures for the care and protection of persons with these disabilities in the event of the death of
their parents, procedures for appointment of guardians and trustees for persons in need of such
protection, and support to registered organisations to provide need-based services in times of crisis
to the families of the disabled.
The three legislations are comprehensive in spirit, and together deal with all aspects pertaining to
rehabilitation, from prevention, training, employment, long-term settlement, human resource
development and research and documentation.
Self Assessment
3. State whether the following statements are True or False:
(i) The integrated child development services (ICDS) scheme was launched in (1975-1976).
(ii) Efforts for early identification of disability have not been made both by government and non-
government organisations (NGOs).
(iii) Government hospitals are expected to have the expertise and equipment to screen and identify
disability.
(iv) The persons with disabilities act was passed in 1990.

32.4 Summary

• Community-Based Rehabilitation is essentially meant to ensure that disabled people, wherever
they are, not discriminated against or deprived.
• The idea of CBR is that, even if people learn very slowly, or have problems seeing or hearing, or
find it hard to move about, they should still be respected for being men and women, girls and
boys.

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