Disability is broadly understood as a mismatch between a person’s abilities and the environment they must navigate. Historically, the medical model viewed disability as an individual deficit requiring a cure. Modern perspectives favor the social model, which recognizes that societal barriers, such as inaccessible infrastructure or discriminatory attitudes, are what truly disable a person. Definitions of disability are not universal and vary significantly across legal and cultural jurisdictions.
Establishing the Specific Legal Framework
The specific enumeration of 21 categories of disability originates from the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 (RPwD Act), an act of the Parliament of India. This legislation was enacted to fulfill India’s obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), which emphasizes a human rights-based approach to disability. The RPwD Act replaced the former Persons with Disabilities Act of 1995, which recognized only seven conditions. The purpose of this expansion was to provide a much broader and more inclusive definition of disability, thereby extending legal protections and entitlements to a significantly larger population. The Act defines disability as a long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairment which, in interaction with barriers, hinders a person’s full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others.
The Comprehensive List of 21 Specified Disabilities
The RPwD Act formally recognizes 21 distinct conditions, offering comprehensive coverage for individuals with diverse impairments.
1. Blindness
Blindness is defined as the condition where a person is entirely without sight or has a severe visual impairment that cannot be corrected. This typically means a total lack of vision or the inability to distinguish light from darkness in either eye.
2. Low-vision
Low-vision refers to a visual acuity not exceeding 6/18 or 20/60 in the better eye with the best possible corrections, or a field of vision limitation subtending an angle of less than 40 degrees. The impairment hinders typical functioning but allows for the use of residual vision for tasks.
3. Leprosy Cured Persons
Leprosy Cured Persons are individuals cured of Hansen’s disease who have suffered residual physical deformities and loss of sensation in their hands or feet. The disability is linked to the lasting physical damage that impacts movement or function, not the infectious stage of the disease.
4. Hearing Impairment
Hearing Impairment is divided into two categories: deaf (70 decibel hearing loss or more in the better ear) and hard of hearing (60 to 70 decibel loss). This impairment affects the ability to hear and process linguistic information, with severity determined by an audiometric test.
5. Locomotor Disability
Locomotor Disability is the inability to execute activities associated with movement of self and objects, resulting from a problem in the bones, joints, or muscles. This category covers conditions that restrict physical mobility, such as loss of a limb or joint dysfunction.
6. Dwarfism
Dwarfism is defined as a condition where a person’s height is 4 feet 10 inches (147 centimeters) or less due to a medical or genetic condition, such as achondroplasia. This short stature results in functional limitations in environments designed for average-height individuals.
7. Intellectual Disability
Intellectual Disability is characterized by significant limitations in intellectual functioning (reasoning and problem-solving) and adaptive behavior (conceptual, social, and practical skills). These limitations manifest before the age of 18 and affect the person’s ability to learn and manage daily life.
8. Mental Illness
Mental Illness refers to a substantial disorder of thinking, mood, perception, or memory that grossly impairs judgment, behavior, or the ability to meet the ordinary demands of life. It does not include intellectual disability, which is categorized separately.
9. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition affecting communication, social interaction, and behavior. Individuals with ASD exhibit restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities, with symptoms appearing in early childhood.
10. Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral Palsy is a non-progressive neurological disorder caused by damage to the developing brain, often occurring before or at birth. This results in impaired muscle coordination and movement, affecting body movement and posture without the brain damage worsening over time.
11. Muscular Dystrophy
Muscular Dystrophy is a group of genetic diseases characterized by progressive weakness and degeneration of skeletal muscles. Over time, muscle fibers are replaced by fatty and connective tissue, leading to increasing immobility.
12. Chronic Neurological Conditions
Chronic Neurological Conditions refer to disorders of the central or peripheral nervous system that last for a long period or are marked by frequent recurrence. This category includes conditions like epilepsy, Alzheimer’s disease, and stroke-related disabilities, which impact nervous system function.
13. Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD)
Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD) are disorders manifested by significant difficulties in the acquisition and use of listening, speaking, reading, writing, reasoning, or mathematical abilities. This includes conditions such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia, which are distinct from intellectual disability.
14. Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease where the immune system attacks myelin, the protective sheath covering nerve fibers in the brain and spinal cord. This damage disrupts communication between the brain and the body, leading to symptoms including movement, sensation, and cognitive problems.
15. Speech and Language Disability
Speech and Language Disability is a permanent disability arising from conditions such as laryngectomy or aphasia, affecting components of speech and language due to organic or neurological causes. This impairment relates to the physical ability to produce speech sounds or the cognitive ability to comprehend and express language.
16. Thalassemia
Thalassemia is an inherited blood disorder where the body produces an abnormal form of hemoglobin, resulting in excessive destruction of red blood cells and anemia. Individuals with severe forms often require regular blood transfusions and specialized medical care.
17. Hemophilia
Hemophilia is a medical condition where the blood’s ability to clot is severely reduced, causing excessive bleeding from minor injuries or spontaneous internal bleeding. This genetic disorder is caused by a lack of specific blood-clotting proteins.
18. Sickle Cell Disease
Sickle Cell Disease is a group of inherited red blood cell disorders where the cells become hard, sticky, and sickle-shaped. These misshapen cells can block blood flow and oxygen to parts of the body by getting stuck in small blood vessels.
19. Multiple Disabilities
Multiple Disabilities refers to a combination of two or more of the specified disabilities occurring in the same person. Deaf-blindness is a specific example, combining hearing and visual impairments that result in severe communication and developmental challenges.
20. Acid Attack Victims
Acid Attack Victims are persons disfigured due to violent assaults involving the throwing of acid or similar corrosive substances. This inclusion recognizes the severe, permanent physical disfigurement and functional impairment, ensuring victims receive necessary legal support and compensation.
21. Parkinson’s Disease
Parkinson’s Disease is a progressive disorder of the nervous system that primarily affects movement, often including tremor, muscular rigidity, and slow, imprecise movement. It is associated with the degeneration of dopamine-producing neurons in the brain.
Grouping the 21 Categories for Clarity
The extensive list of 21 specified disabilities can be organized into conceptual clusters to improve understanding of the Act’s broad coverage.
Sensory and Communication Disabilities
This group includes conditions that primarily affect how an individual perceives or interacts with the external world.
- Blindness
- Low-vision
- Hearing Impairment
- Speech and Language Disability
Locomotor and Physical Disabilities
These conditions affect mobility and physical function, involving musculoskeletal or structural impairment.
- Locomotor Disability
- Dwarfism
- Leprosy Cured Persons
- Acid Attack Victims
- Muscular Dystrophy
Neurological and Developmental Disabilities
This cluster covers disorders of the brain and nervous system, affecting cognitive ability, mental health, motor control, or nervous system function.
- Intellectual Disability
- Mental Illness
- Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Cerebral Palsy
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Parkinson’s Disease
- Chronic Neurological Conditions
Blood Disorders
This distinct group covers chronic genetic conditions affecting the blood.
- Thalassemia
- Hemophilia
- Sickle Cell Disease
Multiple Disabilities, the combination of any two or more categories, serves as an overarching category for complex co-occurring conditions.
Legal Recognition and Support
Official recognition of a specified disability under the RPwD Act begins with the formal certification process. An individual must undergo an assessment by a designated medical authority, typically a medical board at a government hospital. To qualify as a “person with benchmark disability,” the impairment must be certified as at least 40% of the specified disability.
This certification is the legal prerequisite for accessing rights and entitlements. The official document, often linked to the Unique Disability Identity (UDID) Card, acts as a gateway to government support schemes. Benefits include reservation quotas in government employment and higher educational institutions, set at a minimum of four percent of the total seats or vacancies.
Certified individuals are also entitled to various social security measures, such as financial assistance and educational concessions. The legal status conferred by the certificate triggers specific protections against discrimination and ensures the right to a barrier-free environment.