What are the 21 disabilities under the RPwD Act?
The RPwD Act 2016 lists 21 specified disabilities: blindness, low vision, leprosy-cured persons, hearing impairment, locomotor disability, dwarfism, intellectual disability, mental illness, autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, chronic neurological conditions, specific learning disabilities, multiple sclerosis, speech and language disability, thalassemia, haemophilia, sickle cell disease, multiple disabilities including deafblindness, acid attack victims, and Parkinson's disease.
What this means in practice
The list expanded from seven disabilities under the 1995 Act. Several conditions common in schools, such as autism, specific learning disabilities and cerebral palsy, are now explicitly recognised.
Grouped by type
- Physical: locomotor disability, leprosy-cured, cerebral palsy, dwarfism, muscular dystrophy, acid attack victims.
- Sensory: blindness, low vision, hearing impairment, speech and language disability.
- Intellectual and developmental: intellectual disability, specific learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorder.
- Mental health: mental illness.
- Neurological and blood disorders: chronic neurological conditions, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, haemophilia, thalassemia, sickle cell disease.
- Multiple disabilities, including deafblindness.
Why it matters in school
Recognition under the Act allows certification, a UDID card, and access to accommodations, concessions and schemes.
Certification
Each specified disability is assessed using official guidelines to determine the percentage of disability. Certification is through the designated medical authority, usually via the Swavlamban portal, which also issues the UDID card. A child may have more than one specified disability, which is assessed together. Teachers can help families understand that certification supports access to rights and benefits, rather than defining the child.
Practical next steps
- Know which category applies to each child you support.
- Help families understand certification.
- Use the categories in planning support.
- Check for updates to the rules.
What to keep in mind
ADHD is not listed as a separate disability; children with ADHD may still need school accommodations.
Common follow-up questions
Is ADHD included in the 21 disabilities?
Not as a separate category.
Can the government add more disabilities?
Yes, the Act allows the central government to notify additional disabilities.
Sources
Sources inform the explanation; examples are educational illustrations, not individual clinical advice. How these answers are prepared.