Discovering Jyothi: How Changing the Way Disability Legislation is Enforced can Improve the Lives of Children with Disabilities in India

By 2025 India will overtake China as the country with the largest population in the world. The World Bank in 2007 noted that the prevalence of disability in India could be as high as 80-­‐90 million individuals by that time .Of that number a large majority are children. Children with disabilities in India often face discrimination and stigma resulting in them not receiving the necessary education and medical care needed to become well-­‐rounded successful members in society. This piece outlines the current state of children with disabilities in India today, examines Hinduism’s role in the discrimination of individuals with disabilities, and the history of disability policy in India. Lastly this piece examines the tenuous balance between policy and policy implementation and argues that with better policy implementation and education the overall livelihood of children with disabilities could be improved