When the odds are against her: Life for a differently abled woman

Parliament recently passed the Rights of Persons With Disabilities Bill, 2014. While the new Act covers many more disabilities and issues, is it equipped to address the challenges that a differently abled woman faces in her daily life?

Parliament passed the Rights of People with Disability Bill, 2014 in the 2016 winter session of the Parliament. The new Act replaces the Rights of People With Disabilities Act 1995. It gives recognition to 21 types of disabilities, a major improvement from the seven that were recognised in the previous law. It also mentions penalty for violation of the provisions. But is it equipped to address the challenges that a differently abled woman faces in her daily life? Many feel it lacks “holistic protection or representation to women with disabilities”, a section that often suffers from a double restriction – of being a woman, with the added “burden” of disabilities.

Public places are often inaccessible for differently abled women. They are difficult to navigate since they are not disabled-friendly, often unsafe and even lack basic amenities like accessible toilets, feel women. A representative image. (Arun Sharma/HT PHOTO)

Read on, to know of some of the worst problems they face.

Are differently abled women represented in law?

“Differently abled women not thought to be wife material by many”

Lack of toilets restrict access to public spaces for differently abled women

A life of neglect, abuse and discrimination

Disclaimer: The features often use the word disabled instead of differently abled since many feel the latter is just a euphemism that makes no qualitative difference to their lives