In Maharashtra, only six percent of people with disabilities can use public transport (Representative image)
Because they have an income stream, bhagoji observed that employed people often avoid seeking the Act’s welfare and pension provisions. The unemployed tend to rely more heavily on the Unique Disability ID (UDID) for welfare benefits. This bottleneck forces rural residents to travel to Mumbai or Pune, placing an immense load on metro-city hospitals. District-level administrations are failing to deliver services locally.
MUMBAI: Only 6% of persons with disabilities (PwDs) in the state find public transport accessible, according to a study by the National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP). A decade after the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016, major gaps persist, leaving many cut off from education, healthcare and jobs. The report exposed a pervasive lack of legal awareness, with 56% of respondents unaware of their rights.
He noted that if banking, insurance or investment apps do not comply with mandatory accessibility guidelines, the community is effectively kept out of “financial democracy”. It insists that the community holds a “seat at the table” to drive long-term change. Vineet Bhagoji, program manager at NCPEDP, pointed out that govt infrastructure does not evolve unless people apply pressure from the ground. The organisation takes inspiration from successful models in states like Tamil Nadu and Kerala. As Arman Ali concludes, the report delivers a critical call to action for a state that houses India’s second-largest population of PwDs.