One child in every 10 is born with an impairment-or acquires it early in life-and becomes blind, deaf, mentally retarded or physically limited. Because such children's special needs are not detected, and  because  rehabilitation  services are scarce and inadequate, they become disabled, experiencing difficulty in moving, eating, seeing, speaking, heading or learning. These limitations can also prevent them from being self-reliant, useful and productive members of society. Then they are handicapped.

If that one child in ten receives helpful treatment, education and training  when  it is most needed,  every  impairment  need not become a disability and every disability need not become a handicap, and a painful burden for both the individual and the community. But in today's world, that child is still caught in a cruel web of misunderstanding, superstition and neglect. As a result, the global population of disabled now exceeds 500 million-of whom 120 million are children living in the developing countries. By the year 2000, there will be 600 million disabled persons in the world and 150 million of them will be children.

The most challenging aspect of this problem lies in the fact that much of this severe disability could be prevented. The main causes of impairments and subsequent disabilities  are inadequate nutrition, difficulties at birth, preventable diseases, infections and accidents. There is ignorance not only about the causes, but also about prevention and possibilities for rehabilitation. This is why families and communities throughout the world needlessly allow children to grow up disabled and  handicapped.  This  is  also  why Society turns away from the disabled instead of helping them by generating needed services and opportunities. Recognising this global problem, the United Nations has declared 1981 as the International Year for Disabled Persons. It is a year for governments  to  take  stock  of the  challenge and  make  plans  to meet it. In India, we do not know  the dimensions of disability yet. The 1981 Census has broken new ground by counting the severely disabled. Sample surveys will provide additional information to help policy-makers plan services.

India already had incentive schemes to encourage employment of the disabled. In 1980, the Union Government formulated a National Plan of action that will improve prospects of prevention, rehabilitation and assimilation. Towards this end, the 1981-82 Budget already includes encouraging concessions  and  subsidies  for the disabled.

But the future - both for prevention and for  assistance-will depend on how we regard  the  disabled.  Children  or adults, they are people. If they have problems, they also have potential. What they deserve is a fair deal, and 1981 gives us an opportunity to offer them just this.

Indian P & T Department considers it a privilege to issue a special stamp to commemorate the International Year for Disabled Persons.

Source : Information Folder issued by Indian Posts & Telegraph Department, Government of India