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Preface
I choose not to place ‘DIS’, in my ability.” - Robert M. Hensel
India is one of the first signatories to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), which came into force on 3rd May, 2008. As an Obligation under Article 35 of the said Convention, India submits a comprehensive report, from time to time, on the measures taken in the field of disability. As per Census 2011, there are 2.68 crore Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) in India who constitute 2.21% percent of the total population; out of which 1.50 crore are male and 1.18 crore are female. The persons with visual, hearing, speech, locomotor, intellectual and multiple disabilities constitute 81.70% of total PwDs. The census data also shows that 69.50% percent of persons with disabilities live in rural areas. India’s commitment to strength the framework for protection of rights and entitlements of persons with disability is reiterated with the creation of Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DoEPwD) and National Institutions dedicated to specific disabilities for providing services, manpower development and undertaking research.
The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 (RPWD Act, 2016) underpins Research and Development (R&D) for provision of affordable and accessible assistive technologies for creating equal opportunities and social inclusiveness of Divyangjan. Multiple morbidities, care gap and disabilities associated with growing age call for affordable assistive devices and strengthening, geriatric health and medical care. Hence there is an immediate need for proactive R&D to cope with changing desires and pre-requisites. The Technology Interventions for Disabled and Elderly (TIDE) Programme of Science for Equity, Empowerment and Development (SEED), Department of Science and Technology (DST), addresses these needs aptly. While the major initiatives of the Government look at framing policies and providing rehabilitation services, the TIDE Programme had a wider perspective of scientific research and development of assistive technologies for providing greater autonomy to Divyangjan and Elderly through application of Science and Technology.
This Compendium is an outcome of recommendation of Committee of Secretaries to monitor the progress made under Accessible India Campaign. The prime objective is to promote technological innovations and to explore the possibilities of commercial utilization of technological innovations, developed by DST for the benefit of PwDs. Commercially viable technologies that are affordable and adaptable to different built environments are incorporated in the Compendium. The interventions proposed encompass disabilities that were notified in the RPWD Act, 2016. All innovative solutions in the compendium are presented, summarizing the description and functionality of the device, state-of-the-art, stage of development, specifications based on data and images provided by the developers of the concerned technologies.