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Welfare of Persons with Disabilities SOCIAL SERVICE

4.127 The problem of Persons with Disabilities is a human rights issue and various schemes for
facilitating their empowerment are required. As per Census 2011, about 2 percent of the total
population in India is disabled. In Kerala this is 2.28 percent of the total population. Of the 7.62
lakh disabled persons in Kerala, 52 percent are males and 48 percent females. In rural Kerala,
the prevalence rate of disability is 2.37 percent and in urban 2.18 percent. Among ST population
the rate is 2.65 percent which is marginally higher compared to the SC population of 2.53 percent.
While among others it is noticeably lower, 2.25 percent. The highest number of disabled persons is
in Kozhikode district followed by Thiruvananthapuram and lowest in Wayanad. Regarding types of
disability, disability in movement is highest with 22.53 percent and it is the highest for both sexes and
disability in speech is lowest with 5.43 percent.

Fig 4.5
Proportion of disabled persons by type of disability

Source:Census2011

Disability Survey

4.128 This new initiative was started based on the recommendation of the stakeholders meeting
on social welfare conducted by State Planning Board during 2013-14. Government has constituted
a high level committee, expert panel and advisory group to co-ordinate, evaluate and validate the
census process. The pilot project had been conducted at Arynadu panchayat of Thiruvanamthapuram
district.

Issuing Disability Certificate to Differently Abled

4.129 According to the Persons with Disability Act, 1995 it is mandatory to provide disability certificate
to all the disabled. In 2013-14, KSSM conducted 67 disability certification camps and distributed
14559 identity cards and certificates. As a comparison of state wise status as on 28/02/2014, the
target achieved by Kerala was only about 28 percent, while that of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and
Tamil Nadu were 69, 68 and 60 percent respectively.

Economic Review 2014