Summary
Note: This content was originally published by Australia India Institute in November 2020
According to the WHO, more than 1 billion people in the world have a disability. Evidence from both Australia and India shows people with disabilities are more likely to experience poorer health outcomes, lower education achievements, less employment, higher rates of poverty and barriers to accessing services.
In India, the Modi Government has actively promoted disability inclusion through the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016 and introduced or improved programs such as Accessible India and employment schemes. Although access remains an issue India offers some of the world’s best private disability care and boasts a burgeoning disability assistive technology sector.
Australia has been a world leader in promoting disability inclusive development abroad and innovative financing solutions at home. The Development-For-All strategy and the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) are two examples. Victoria’s India Strategy provides a framework for meaningful engagement between Victoria and India in the area of disability.
Together India and Australia can cooperate to promote inclusion enabling people with disability to realise their full potential. This policy brief provides an overview of the diverse array of stakeholders involved in responding to disability in India. It also explores the burgeoning market for training of therapists, development of services, assistive devices and appropriate technology. It identifies the following areas for industry engagement and research collaboration between Victoria and India:
- Co-design of training and curricula to support the disability sector
- Leadership, training and education of the disability workforce
- Building technology and ICT solutions for people with disability
- Low cost solutions and production of devices at scale
