News

Volume 7 Issue 5 - March 01, 2010

N.C.P.E.D.P. commissions study on disability question in Census 2011

D.N.I.S. News Network, India: To ensure that disabled people are accurately enumerated in the upcoming Census of 2011, National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (N.C.P.E.D.P.) has commissioned a study on the crucial ‘disability question’ to be included in the Census 2011 Questionnaire. Diversity and Equal Opportunity Centre (D.E.O.C.) is conducting the study on its behalf.

As part of the study, a questionnaire is being circulated among leading disabled rights activists from across disabilities and across the country on their opinion as to how the question on disability should be framed to ensure that disability is accurately reflected in the upcoming Census.

Although the disability sector managed to secure a question on disability after a prolonged struggle in the previous Census of 2001, the results were shockingly poor. Conservative estimates put the figure on disabled population of the country at 6 – 7 percent while Census 2001 put it at a mere 2.13 percent. This was unequivocally refuted by the sector.

Javed Abidi, Honorary Director, N.C.P.E.D.P., recently met with Dr. C. Chandramouli, Census Commissioner of India to discuss this issue. It was agreed in the meeting that the result/report of the N.C.P.E.D.P. study will be sent to the Technical Committee of the Census Commission for finalizing the questionnaire and the instruction manual for enumerators.

The study is expected to be complete by the first week of March.

For more information, please write to secretariat@ncpedp.org