Aims and Objectives

Align domestic law with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD).
Expand the legally recognised categories of disability from 7 under the 1995 Act to 21.
Strengthen access, education, and employment rights for persons with disabilities.

Important Provisions

Expanded Disability List: Recognises 21 disabilities, up from 7 under the 1995 Act, including conditions such as Parkinson's disease and specific learning disabilities.
Employment Reservation: Section 34 mandates a minimum 4% reservation in government establishments for persons with benchmark disabilities.
Education Reservation: Mandates at least 5% reservation in higher education institutions.
Special Courts: Provides for designated special courts in each district to try offences against persons with disabilities.
Accessibility Mandate: Requires public buildings to be made accessible within a prescribed time frame.
Limited Guardianship: Introduces limited guardianship for persons with disabilities requiring high support.

Rights-Based Shift: Moves India's disability law from a welfare-based approach to a rights-based one, aligned with the UNCRPD.
Wider Coverage: The near-threefold expansion in recognised disabilities extends legal protection to far more citizens than the 1995 Act did.