Section 9: Counting Ability
The debate around the Census of 2001 and the inclusion in the census of a question on disability has opened critical space for the collection of data on disabilities crossed sectorally. The 11th plan process reflects this concern as well. The environment created by the Disability Rights Convention process has had a critical impact on the data gathering and research thrust in policy.
The Office of Registrar General of India conducts Population Censuses at an interval of ten years since 1881. Indian Population Census has been providing some useful data on the physical infirmities
from its inception. The census questionnaire of 1872 called House Register
included questions on physical disablilies like the blind, the deaf and the dumb
. But due to constraints in enumeration, the quality of data collected through the Population Censuses was not satisfactory and thus the practice was discontinued after 1931. No attempt was, therefore, made to collect information on disability through censuses of 1951, 1961 and 1971. Collection of certain important information on persons with physical disabilities was again taken up in 1981 census. Declaration of the year 1981 as the international year for the disabled persons by the United Nations was also a reason for taking up the aspect of disability in the 1981 Population Census. The enumeration of disabled persons was again taken up along with the Population Census of India conducted in 2001.
The Eleventh Plan document emphasizes and adopts a multi-pronged, crosssectoral approach to identifying, preventing, managing, treating and rehabilitating persons with mental disabilities. There will be a focus on awareness drives, defining the various kinds of disabilities, generating valid census data, inclusion in all areas of development, and community based treatment and rehabilitation approaches. Efforts are to be directed towards strengthening and developing trained human resource to addressing the growing magnitude of mental disabilities. There will be emphasis on research to generate relevant data and culturally valid rehabilitative measures.