Govt panel rejects inclusion of 9 medical conditions in RPwD Act disability list

New Delhi, Sep 2 (PTI) A high-powered inter-departmental committee has turned down proposals to include nine new medical conditions, including asthma, epilepsy and single-sided deafness, in the list of specified disabilities under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act.

The nine conditions are -- palmoplantar keratoderma, single-sided deafness, epilepsy, Factor-XIII deficiency, ichthyosis, asthma, laryngectomy, vital organ failure and ostomy.

The meeting held on August 20 was led by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) and chaired by DEPwD Secretary Rajesh Aggarwal. It reviewed representations received from stakeholders but concluded that none of the conditions warranted fresh inclusion, according to the minutes of the meeting.

On palmoplantar keratoderma, the members of the panel noted that most patients suffer from only minor physical limitations and severe cases with functional impairment could already be addressed under the existing category of locomotor disability.

In the case of single-sided deafness, the committee pointed out that the disability percentage does not cross 16.66 even when hearing loss is profound in one ear, since the formula is based on binaural hearing.

"While such patients lose directional hearing, their overall hearing capacity is not significantly compromised to qualify as a benchmark disability," the minutes said.

Regarding epilepsy, the panel said although it is not separately listed in the RPwD Act, Chronic Drug Refractory Epilepsy has already been recognised under "chronic neurological conditions" in the disability-assessment guidelines of March 2024 and no additional recognition is, therefore, necessary.

On Factor-XIII deficiency, a rare blood disorder, experts observed that it rarely causes major physical limitations. In the few cases where impairments exist, they can be accommodated within locomotor disability or other specific categories.

The committee found that ichthyosis, a skin condition, imposes only non-prohibitive limitations in most cases. Patients with severe functional restrictions can again be included under locomotor disability provisions.

With respect to asthma, the panel underlined that it is a chronic but treatable disease that does not result in long-term disability. Hence, it is not suitable for inclusion in the Schedule.

On laryngectomy, the members clarified that this condition is already covered under "speech and language disability" as defined in the 2024 DEPwD guidelines, which recognise it as a permanent disability affecting communication.

In the case of vital organ failure, the panel stressed that such conditions require medical treatment, transplantation or palliative care, and are best dealt with through healthcare and social-security schemes rather than the disability-rights framework.

Finally, the committee discussed ostomy, which involves surgically creating an opening for waste elimination. Since it is considered a medical outcome rather than a permanent disabling condition, and can sometimes be reversed through surgery, it was not found eligible for inclusion.

Summing up its deliberations, the High-Powered Inter-Departmental Committee recommended "not to include any of the above medical conditions as 'Specified Disability' in the Schedule to the RPwD Act, 2016".

The meeting was attended by senior officials from the ministries of health, education, women and child development, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), National Medical Commission (NMC) and Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

Under the Schedule of the RPwD Act, individuals affected by certain medical conditions would have legal recognition as persons with disabilities and become eligible for a range of benefits and protections.

These include access to government welfare schemes, reservation in education and employment, financial support for assistive devices and stronger safeguards against discrimination. PTI UZM RC