Treat disabled children as rights-holders, Kerala child rights panel urges State
The Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has recommended that the State adopt a rights-based approach for children with disabilities, urging the government to view them not merely as recipients of welfare but as citizens entitled to equality, dignity, and equal opportunity.
In a report submitted to the government earlier this year, the commission outlined a series of measures to address the physical, emotional, intellectual, and developmental challenges faced by such children. The report was prepared after consultations with functionaries at the State and district levels.
A key recommendation is the establishment of a single-window system to ensure that benefits such as social security pensions, scholarships, treatment and rehabilitation aid, travel allowance, and assistive devices reach children in a transparent and time-bound manner. Currently, these schemes are implemented through multiple departments, resulting in lack of coordination, delays, documentation complications, and inadequate information.
The commission underscored the importance of early detection of disabilities to enable comprehensive treatment and rehabilitation. It called for the permanent availability of experts such as paediatricians, clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, and therapists at taluk hospitals. For remote and difficult-to-access areas, including hilly regions, the report proposed mobile screening teams to directly screen children in anganwadis and schools.
For children with severe disabilities or those who are bed-ridden, the report recommended ensuring home care, palliative care, and other services at their doorstep. It also stressed the need to make disability certificates and Unique Disability Identification (UDID) cards available to eligible children, and called for organising panchayat-level camps to avoid delays in issuance.
To improve school participation and social inclusion, the commission recommended appointing special educators in all government, aided, and recognised unaided schools. It said need-based support would help prevent children with disabilities from dropping out. The report also mooted an inclusive evaluation system that takes into account each child's abilities, individual educational goals, and reasonable accommodation.
Another significant proposal is the creation of district disability centres to provide services such as early identification, therapies, counselling, educational support, and parent training under one umbrella. The commission further stressed the need for police stations to have personnel trained in accepting complaints from children with disabilities, recording their statements, and conducting investigations. It recommended providing sign language interpreters, special educators, and support persons to assist such children during legal proceedings.
The report positions Kerala as a potential model State in ensuring equality and equal opportunity for all children with disabilities. The government has not yet made a public response to the recommendations.
