Differently-abled run into barriers, stay away from higher studies

BENGALURU: There are very few People with Disabilities (PwD) in Karnataka, who seek secondary and higher education, while employment is even less. The lack of proper implementation of government schemes, and an environment for children to attend schools, are a few reasons behind this.

The number of disabled people with the highest level of completed secondary education, or higher, is only 21 per cent in Karnataka, according to the statistical 2021 report for Persons with Disabilities in India. It also stated that there were around 8 lakh non-workers in the state. 

KS Lathakumari, director, Department for the Empowerment of Differently Abled and Senior Citizens, said there was no proper mechanism for managing data or identifying disabled people across the state. The current data on disabled population is from the 2011 census. She urged that a barrier-free environment be put in place for children to be able to create a better life for themselves. With the New Education Policy and disability Acts already in place, they intend to create an inclusive environment.

The literacy rate is 51 per cent, but the percentage which has completed secondary and higher education is less than half, by comparison. NV Ranganath Venkatasubbaiah, senior training coordinator at Action on Disability and Development India, said there are schemes, reservation and support from the government, but the problem is implementation.

On appropriate infrastructure to support special children, Ranganath said schools often don’t have ramps, accessible toilets and trained staff to care for such children, which causes them to drop out, and often they don’t enrol for higher education. 

There is 4% reservation in A and B category, and 5% in C and D for disabled people in government jobs, but positions remain vacant because people don’t qualify few people are eligible, he added. Anita Reji, co-founder of Beautiful Together, a Bengaluru-based organisation empowering disabled people, said many schools deny admission to special children as they don’t have equipment to cater to them.