Community Rehabilitation of Disabled with a Focus on Blind Persons: Indian Perspective

India, the largest democratic country in the world, is marching ahead strongly on the growth and developmental front and is poised to be the leader in the market economy. This role creates and increases far greater responsibilities on us in ensuring that the benefit of the developmental cycle reaches each and every citizen of this country, including the able and the disabled ones. It has been enshrined in the Constitution of India to ensure equality, freedom, justice, and dignity of all individuals and implicitly mandates an inclusive society. With increase in consideration of quality parameters in all spheres of life including availability, access, and provision of comprehensive services to the disabled, it is pertinent to have a look on the contribution of government in keeping the aspiration and commitment towards common people. The article attempts to review the concept of rehabilitation for the disabled keeping a focus on the blind person, and list out the activities, programs/schemes, institutional structure and initiatives taken by the Government of India (GOI) for the same and the incentives/benefits extended to blind persons. The article concludes by reiterating the importance of individual need assessment and mentioning new initiatives proposed on Low Vision services in the approved 11th plan under National Programme for Control of Blindness (NPCB). The source of information has been annual reports, notification and the approved 11th five-year plan of GOI, articles published with key words like rehabilitation, disability, assistive devices, low vision aids, and/or blind person through the mode of Internet. Annexure provides a list of selected institutions in the country offering Low Vision services compiled from various sources through personal communication and an approved list of training institutes under NPCB, GOI offering Low Vision training.


Concept of disability and rehabilitation
The goal of medicine is to promote, preserve, and restore health when it is impaired and to minimize suff ering and distress. These goals are embodied in the word prevention. Successful prevention depends upon knowledge of causation, dynamics of transmission, identifi cation of risk factors and risk groups, availability of prophylactic or early detection and treatment measures, an organization for applying these measure to appropriate persons or groups and continuous evaluation and development of procedures applied. For bett er understanding of the subject, it is necessary to have clarity of sequence of events leading to disability and handicap.
The sequence is described as follows: Disease → Impairment → Disability → Handicap Disease is a condition of the body or some part or organ of the body in which its functions are disrupted or deranged. Impairment is any loss or abnormality of psychological, physiological or anatomical structure or function. 138 Disability is any restriction or lack (resulting from impairment) of ability to perform an activity in the manner or within the range considered normal for a human being.
Handicap is a disadvantage for a given individual resulting from an impairment or disability that limits or prevents the fulfi llment of a role that is normal (depending on age, sex, social and cultural factors) for that individual. The concept of handicap also includes the role of the society in creating barriers and limiting opportunities for people with disabilities.

Rehabilitation
Rehabilitation involves combined and coordinated use of medical, social, educational, and vocational measures for training or retraining the individual to the highest possible level of functional ability. The three main strategies for rehabilitation of disabled are institution-based, outreach, and community-based. [5,6] In general, rehabilitation encompasses the following: [7,8] • Early detection, diagnosis, and intervention 13% of the total population. This includes people with visual, hearing, speech, locomotor, and mental disabilities. Out of these, 75% live in rural areas, 49% are literate, and only 34% are employed. PWDs in India are defi ned as people who are suff ering from not less than 40% of any ability as certifi ed by medical authority. [9] Legislative, policy, and institutional framework [10] The core of public health depends on law and science and it is also true that without the coercive power of the state, public health and modern society would be impossible. Law has to prohibit individuals who create situations for suff ering for others. For this reason, public health must maintain the balance between individual autonomy and community protection. The public health actions are not intended to punish but to improve and monitor the health status in the community. To achieve the fundamental goals of protection, promotion and growth of individuals, groups and vulnerable population, various legislation and policies are draft ed. Policy is a system that provides logical framework and rationality of decision making for the achievement of intended objectives. In short, policies set priorities and guide allocation of appropriate resources through establishment of an institutional framework. [11] • GOI has enacted three legislations for PWDs viz.
- -National institute for the visually handicapped, Dehradun -National institute for the hearing handicapped, Mumbai -National institute for the mentally handicapped, Secunderabad -National institute for the orthopedically handicapped, Kolkata -National institute of rehabilitation training and research, Cutt ack -Institute for the physically handicapped, New Delhi -National institute for the empowerment with persons with multiple disabilities, Chennai • Five, Composite regional centers for PWDs • Regional rehabilitation centers for persons with spinal injuries • Indian spinal injury center, New Delhi • Artifi cial limbs manufacturing corporation of India, Kanpur • District disability rehabilitation centers Welfare programme/schemes for the rehabilitation of disabled in India [12][13][14] The allocation of work related to medical component i.e., preventative, promotive, curative aspect is primarily planned, organized, and implemented by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, whereas rehabilitation is operated primarily by the nodal agency Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and administered by States/Union territories (UTs) through a number of stakeholders including ministries and department of Central/State Governments/ UTs, Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs), Non governmental organizations (NGOs), disabled people organizations, advocacy groups, family and legal associations, experts and professionals for the welfare of disabled persons in the country. The program/schemes as proposed in Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment are as follows:

Deendayal disabled rehabilitation scheme
The scheme provides support to the NGOs to deliver various rehabilitation services to people with disabilities. This includes support to schools for children with orthopedic, speech, hearing, visual and mental disabilities; vocational training centers to provide basic skills to PWDs; community-based rehabilitation program; half-way homes for psychosocial rehabilitation of treated and controlled mentally ill people; pre-school and early intervention programs; human resource development; support for sett ing up Braille presses; and placement services.

Scheme of assistance to disabled persons for purchase/fi tt ing of aids/ appliances (ADIP scheme)
The objective of this scheme is to assist the needy physically handicapped people with durable, modern, and standard aids and appliances.

Schemes for national scholarship of persons with disabilities
Every year 500 new scholarship are awarded for pursuing postmatric professional and technical courses of atleast one year duration under the scheme of national scholarship for PWDs. However, with respect to the students with cerebral palsy, mental retardation, multiple disabilities, and profound or severe hearing impairment, scholarship are awarded for pursuing studies from IX standard onwards. Students with 40% or more disability whose monthly family income does not exceed Rs. 15,000/-are eligible for scholarship. A scholarship of Rs 700/-per month to day-scholars and Rs. 1000/-per month to hostlers is provided to the students pursuing graduate and post-graduate level technical or professional courses. A scholarship of Rs. 400/-and Rs. 700/-per month to hostlers is provided for pursuing diploma and certifi cate level professional courses. In addition to the scholarship, the students are reimbursed the course fee subject to a ceiling of Rs. 10,000/-per year.
National awards for the welfare of persons with disabilities The national awards are conferred not only to individuals and organizations that are working for the welfare of the PWDs but also on PWDs having outstanding achievements. The awards are given away on 3 rd December every year, which has been declared as International Day of Disabled Persons.

National handicapped fi nance and development corporation
Economic empowerment of disable persons is promoted for self-employment ventures, extend loans to PWDs for upgradation of their entrepreneurial skill, pursuing professional/technical education, and to assist self-employed individuals with disabilities in marketing their fi nished goods.

Science and technology project in mission mode
This project is engaged in development of technology which ultimately leads to a suitable device which is of high quality, durable, comfortable, and integrates the disabled into the mainstream of society. Funding is made available to established research and development centers, academic institutions, public sector industries, agencies undertaking research activities for the benefi t of PWDs. [15,16] According to guidelines by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, GOI, the minimum degree of disability should be 40% for an individual to be eligible for any concessions or benefi ts. State government also extends various benefi ts in addition to those initiated by the GOI.

Travel
The blind person traveling alone or with an escort on production of a certifi cate from a government doctor or a registered medical practitioner is eligible to get a concession to the tune of 75% if traveling in fi rst, second or sleeper class in Indian railways. The Indian Airlines Corporation allows 50% concessional fare to blind persons on single journey or single fare round trip journey on all domestic fl ights. Escorts are to pay full fare however an air hostess/steward will look aft er the blind person not accompanied by escorts in fl ight.

Postage
There are no postal charges levied on transmission of blind literature packets [papers, periodicals, books printed in Braille, sound records, disc fi lms, tapes and wires for the use of the blind and when sent by, or addressed to, an offi cially recognized institution for the blind] to inland/foreign destination if sent by surface route weighing upto 7 kg only. If packets are to be sent by air, prescribed airmail charges needs to be paid. The blind person is entitled for rental rebate of 50% on telephone facility on Non-OYT [s] category only. An educated unemployed handicap person with atleast VIII th or middle schools pass for rural areas and matriculation or high school for urban areas is eligible for allotment of STD/PCO on priority basis.

Customs concessions
Selected goods when imported into India by a disable person for their personal use are exempted from customs duty if a certifi cate from a government medical offi cer/institution certifi es that import of goods is essential to overcome the said disability.

Conveyance allowances
All central government employees who are in a regular establishment and who are blind or orthopaedically handicap are to be granted conveyance allowance at 5% of the basic pay subject to a maximum of Rs. 100/month.

Children education allowances
Grant of children educational allowances, reimbursement of tuition fees to central government employees are governed by central civil services orders.

Scheme of integrated education for disabled children
This is centrally sponsored scheme and was launched in 1974 by the then department of Social welfare. This scheme has however been transferred to the department of Education since 1982. Under the scheme, handicapped children are sought to be integrated in the normal school system. Financial assistance to the tune of 100% is provided to States/UTs for education of children suff ering from certain mild handicaps in common schools with the help of necessary aids, incentives and specially trained teachers. The following types of disabled children are covered under this scheme: (a) children with locomotor handicaps; (b) mildly and moderately hearing impaired; (c) partially sighted children; (d) mentally handicapped educable group (IQ 50-70); (e) children with multiple handicap; (f) children with learning disabilities.

Income tax concessions
Section 80 DD provides for a deduction in respect of the expenditure incurred by an individual or Hindu Undivided Family (HUF) resident in India on the medical treatment [including nursing], training and rehabilitation of handicapped dependants. Section 88 B provides for an additional rebate from net tax payable by a resident individual who has att ained the age of 65 years.

Employment
3% of vacancies in government employment in Grade C and D post are reserved for people with disabilities, 1% each for persons suff ering from blindness or low vision, hearing impairment and locomotor disability and cerebral palsy. The GOI has set up 47 special employment exchanges in diff erent states for the visually handicapped. As per the decision of the GOI, it has been instructed that recaning of chairs in government offi ces should be done by a visually impaired person as far as possible when the volume of work requires a full time chair caner.

Economic assistance
Under the scheme of public sector banks for orphanages, women's homes and physically handicapped persons including blind the benefi ts of the diff erential rate of interest are available to physically handicapped persons as well as institutions working for the welfare of the handicapped. Under the integrated rural development programme (IRDP), 3% quota is earmarked for physically handicapped persons.

and low vision
In India, diff erent defi nitions of disability are introduced for various purposes and as such, they have been based on various criteria. No single standard exists in India in order to evaluate disability. In common parlance, diff erent terms such as disabled, handicapped, crippled, physically challenged are used interchangeably. [19] Visual acuity as well as fi eld of vision has been considered for deciding blindness and in India it refers to a condition where a person suff ers from any of the following conditions, namely: Total absence of sight; or visual acuity not exceeding 6/60 or 20/200 (Snellen) aft er best correction in the bett er eye; limitation of the fi eld of vision subtending an angle of 20 degree or worse.

Low vision
A person who aft er treatment of standard refraction has a visual acuity in bett er eye of Ͻ20/60 to light perception; or a visual fi eld of Ͻ10° from the point of fi xation, however, and is potentially able to use vision for planning or execution of a task [WHO]. [20] Many persons especially children who have a corrected visual acuity of less than 3/60 in the bett er eye have useful vision and benefi t from Low Vision services.

One-eyed person
Generally, the impairment of 40% or more is considered a handicap. As percentage of impairment in the case of one-eyed person is only 30%, according to the approved defi nition in medical parlance, a person with one good eye is not a blind person [ Table 1]. The Committ ee of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment on Recommendation of Standard Defi nition of Disability recommended that one eye-eyed person should be excluded from the other categories of visual impairment so that facilities and concessions available to severely and profoundly visually impaired persons are not eroded. The committ ee, however, felt that loss of one eye would not be considered as

Evaluation and need assessment for low vision
Visual impairment in general aff ects four main functional areas: Orientation/mobility, communication, activities of daily living (ADL) and sustained near vision task. Early intervention and special education can balance the negative eff ects of visual impairment. In many cases environmental adaptations, vision training, follow up for ensuring compliance, coordinating with stakeholders, removing myth and misconception and counseling would help in empowering the individual and/or enhancing functional residual vision.
The eff ect of low vision is not same for all people and the following assessment needs to be compiled for each individual before embarking upon the decision of assistive devices: [21] •

Special assistive devices for the visually impaired
Assistive devices for the visually impaired can be broadly divided into the following categories: Education, mobility, vocational, daily living devices, low vision devices, and psychological test for vocational assessment and training. [22,23] Education devices [24] Braille duplicators and writers, for example, Brailler and thermoform machine to convert material into Braille; Writing devices: Braille slates, Taylor postcard frame, pocket Braille frame; Braille paper; talking books and tape recorders: Material recorded on cassett es has emerged as the most popular mode of imparting education; Reading machines: Kurzweil reading machine, which reads typeset or typewritt en text and turns it into speech; Braille computers: Braille Windows, Index Braille, Braille'n speak helps individual while working with personal computers; Mathematical devices: The Taylor arithmetic frame, abacus, talking calculator, spur wheel helps in learning mathematics; Geography and science devices: Sensory quill and three-dimensional raised maps help in learning geography, human physiology, zoology, and botany.

Daily living devices
Daily living devices can be further classifi ed into fi ve broad categories namely, clocks and watches, games and puzzles, sports, kitchen equipment and personnel devices.

Low vision devices
Low Vision devices can be further divided into two types: Optical devices, which use lenses to magnify objects and non-optical devices and techniques, which make objects easier to use. A third category is electronic magnifi er which is sometimes subsumed under non-optical devices. These devices include telescopes (telescopic spectacles, hand held, tele-bifocal spectacles), visualtek, schmidt reader, magnifying lenses (fi xed focus; variable focus stand; half cylindrical rod; hand magnifi er; folding; high plus spectacle; half eye spectacle-prism glasses; clip on magnifi er), microscopic spectacles, visolett , fl uorescent reading lamps, tinted lenses. Electronic magnifi er/adaptive technology in the form of closed circuit television (CCTV), computer soft ware (JAWS, MAGIC, text Braille soft ware), speech synthesizer, talking books, overhead projector. [25][26][27][28] Psychological assessment tests and training program is designed to develop a person's skill potential to the extent possible. These include Minnesota rate of manipulation test; Pennsylvania bi-manual work sample; Purdue pegboard; Crawford small parts dexterity test; Stanford-kolhs block design test for the blind; Blind learning aptitude test.

New initiative on low vision services in approved 11 th fi ve-year (2007-12) plan under NPCB
Strengthening Low Vision service is one of the thrust areas under 11 th fi ve-year plan under NPCB in addition to ongoing activities. Regional Institutes of Ophthalmology (RIO) and government medical colleges are being developed as Low Vision units in a phased manner. Financial assistance for Low Vision devices like high plus spectacles, hand held magnifi ers, stand magnifi ers, telescope, video magnifi ers [closed circuit television], absorptive lenses; fi eld expanding devices are being provided by NPCB especially for poor patients. Eye surgeons working in public sector are being provided seven days orientation training on Low Vision services and fi nancial support is borne by the GOI. Technical guidelines and comprehensive resource on Low Vision services is being developed involving all stakeholders for reference and dissemination. Improving quality of life of persons suff ering from visual impairment involve patience, perseverance, multi-disciplinary approach with efficient coordination amongst stakeholders including medical, paramedical, social/ psychological and educational professional. The gap between need and availability of Low Vision services is known globally, however, a beginning has been made by the GOI to address this issue and fruitful results will be evident in times to come.