The Indian government has proposed to set up a university for Disability Studies and Rehabilitation Sciences in an accessible environment.
In a public notice released on December 24, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) has invited comments from stakeholders on a draft bill to set the university. A draft bill, namely the University of Disability Studies and Rehabilitation Sciences Bill, 2021 for establishing the proposed university, has been prepared.
The proposed university will have eight departments, as follows:
- Disability studies
- Rehabilitation sciences
- Audiology and Speech-language pathology
- Special education
- Psychology
- Nursing
- Orthotics and prosthetics and assistive technology
- Inclusive and universal design
“The proposed university, the first of its kind, will be a unique multidisciplinary academic institution conducting research, programmes, and courses from the bachelor’s level onwards to cater to various disciplines covering the entire gamut of disability studies and rehabilitation sciences in an accessible environment,” the DEPwD stated.
