"IIT Madras Centre Advocates Disciplinary Reform for Disability Inclusion"
Reasonable Accommodation
necessary modifications enabling persons with disabilities to enjoy rights on an equal basis, as defined under RPwD Act, 2016.
Social Model of Disability
locates barriers in social structures and environment, not in the individual's impairment.
India's legal framework for disability rights has evolved significantly over the past decade. The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 replaced the earlier Persons with Disabilities Act of 1995 and expanded the number of recognised disability categories from 7 to 21. The Act mandates 5% reservation in government educational institutions for persons with disabilities. It places a legal duty on governments to ensure accessibility, non-discrimination, and reasonable accommodation. The Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan (Accessible India Campaign), launched to complement this framework, focuses on three domains: built infrastructure, transport systems, and information and communication technology.
Despite this legal architecture, the gap between formal access and genuine inclusion remains wide. The National Education Policy, 2020 called for inclusive education at all levels, including higher education, and emphasised universal design for learning. Yet most institutional responses to disability have remained physical: ramps, assistive devices, and reserved seats. The deeper question of whether academic disciplines themselves are designed to exclude persons with disabilities has received far less policy attention.
Accessibility in education is conventionally understood in two dimensions. The first is physical and infrastructural: ramps, wheelchairs, screen readers, sign language interpreters, and similar assistive technologies. The second, less discussed dimension is epistemic accessibility: whether the knowledge systems, pedagogical methods, field requirements, and assessment formats within each academic discipline are themselves structured in ways that exclude disabled learners.
The RPwD Act, 2016 introduced the concept of reasonable accommodation, defined as necessary and appropriate modifications to ensure persons with disabilities can enjoy rights on an equal basis. In higher education, this translates to obligations on institutions to modify teaching methods, examination formats, and field requirements. However, the Act's implementation in elite institutions has largely stopped at physical infrastructure and examination concessions, without touching curriculum design or disciplinary norms. …
Does the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 ensure effective mechanism for empowerment and inclusion of the intended beneficiaries in the society? Discuss.
Which of the following statements with regard to the persons with disabilities in India is/are correct?
1.The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, an Act passed by the Parliament of India in 2018, mandates reservation in education and employment, places a legal duty on Governments to ensure accessibility and non-discrimination.
2.The Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan focuses on achieving universal accessibility for Persons with Disabilities across three key domains - built infrastructure, transport systems and information and communication technology.
3.The National Divyangjan Finance and Development Corporation (NDFDC) is a public sector organisation set up by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs as a not-for-profit company to promote entrepreneurship among Persons with Disabilities (PwDs).
Select the answer using the code given below:
Consider the following statements regarding the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016:
1.It expanded the number of recognised disability categories from 7 to 21.
2.It mandates 5% reservation in government educational institutions for persons with disabilities.
3.It introduced the concept of 'reasonable accommodation' as a legally enforceable obligation.
4.It was enacted to implement India's obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, ratified in 2007.
How many of the above statements are correct?
Consider the following statements regarding the Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan (Accessible India Campaign):
1.It focuses on achieving universal accessibility across built infrastructure, transport systems, and information and communication technology.
2.It was launched as a flagship scheme under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.
3.It is implemented by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
Match the following concepts related to disability inclusion in education with their correct descriptions:
List I (Concept) — List II (Description)
A.Social Model of Disability — 1. Designing courses from the outset to be accessible to all learners
B.Medical Model of Disability — 2. Locates barriers in social structures and the environment
C.Universal Design for Learning — 3. Locates the problem in the individual's impairment
D.Reasonable Accommodation — 4. Necessary modifications to ensure equal participation
Select the correct answer:
Consider the following statements about the Accessibility Research Centre (ARC) at IIT Madras:
1.It was established to address the needs of approximately 200 students with disabilities on campus.
2.It has developed a course on Literary and Cultural Disability Studies, claimed to be the first of its kind in India.
3.Its conceptual framework, called 'Disability and Disciplines', draws an analogy with how gender studies reformed academic disciplines from within.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
With reference to disability rights in India, consider the following pairs:
Instrument / Scheme — Key Feature
1.RPwD Act, 2016 — Expanded disability categories from 7 to 21
2.UNCRPD — Ratified by India in 2007; Article 24 mandates inclusive education
3.Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan — Focuses on built infrastructure, transport, and ICT accessibility
4.NEP 2020 — Mandates Universal Design for Learning in all higher education institutions
How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?
Want the full note, Prelims Facts & MCQ answers?
Create a free account — takes less than a minute.
Create free account