Disability is a cross-cutting issue that affects millions of people around the world, especially in the humanitarian and development sectors. Persons with disabilities often face multiple barriers to accessing basic services, such as health, education, water and sanitation, livelihoods, and social protection. They also face discrimination, stigma, and violence, which can exacerbate their vulnerability and marginalization.

To address these challenges, the Caritas India Community-Based Rehabilitation (CBR) Program adopted a Twin-Track Approach to promote the inclusion and participation of persons with disabilities in society. This approach focuses on addressing the various barriers that hinder the full participation of individuals with disabilities, ensuring their equal rights and opportunities.

At its core, Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) strives to break down the barriers that limit the inclusion and participation of persons with disabilities in society. To accomplish this, it is crucial not only to make mainstream facilities accessible to people with disabilities but also to meet their specific rehabilitation needs.

Persons with disabilities often require various forms of support, including corrective surgeries, assistive devices, therapeutic interventions, and assistance with daily living skills such as mobility and communication. Moreover, individuals with mental illness or seizure disorders need ongoing medication and acceptance from their families and communities to manage their conditions effectively. The transfer of disability-specific knowledge and skills to caregivers is vital for the sustainability of the mainstreaming process.

Caritas India Community Based Rehabilitation (CI CBR) has been promoting CBR services for people with disabilities, predominantly in rural areas, for over 27 years. Their outreach extends to approximately 72,000 people with disabilities, spanning different age groups, genders, and types of disabilities. Their extensive experience in program implementation across the country reveals that about 20-30 percent of the identified persons with disabilities require intensive, specific rehabilitation services to enhance their functional abilities and facilitate their inclusion.

The remaining 70-80% of persons with disabilities can be integrated into society with minimal support and environmental adjustments. However, achieving true inclusion depends on cultivating positive mindsets among stakeholders and mainstreaming persons with disabilities into all developmental programs of society.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) defines “reasonable accommodation” as necessary and appropriate modifications and adjustments that do not impose a disproportionate or undue burden, ensuring that persons with disabilities enjoy their human rights and fundamental freedoms on an equal basis with others.

The concept of “universal design” is integral to this approach, focusing on designing products, environments, programs, and services to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design. It’s crucial to note that “universal design” should not exclude assistive devices for specific groups of persons with disabilities when necessary.

The Twin-Track Approach means that individuals with disabilities should be included in regular programs wherever possible. Special services should only be provided when inclusion in mainstream programs is not feasible. In the realm of education, this approach encourages the inclusion of children with disabilities in existing mainstream and public education systems to the maximum extent, with special services made available only when mainstream inclusion is not possible.

Persons with disabilities possess the same needs and rights as others. However, these rights are frequently denied, and their participation is restricted due to prevailing negative mindsets in society. While equality is declared as a right, true equity is needed to prevent individuals with disabilities from being excluded under the guise of mainstreaming.

The UNCRPD asserts that “reasonable accommodation” is a right, and it is essential to facilitate the inclusion process. Concessions and facilities provided to individuals with disabilities should no longer be perceived as acts of charity or compassion but as legitimate rights.
Caritas India CBR continues to practice and promote the Twin-Track Approach, focusing on need-based rehabilitation services on one hand and making mainstream facilities accessible on the other. This approach ensures that the inclusion and participation of persons with disabilities are upheld as fundamental rights.

Self-help groups and organizations of persons with disabilities play a pivotal role in influencing systems and practices through dialogue, ultimately driving disability mainstreaming in society.

Caritas India’s unwavering commitment to the Twin-Track Approach in CBR is empowering persons with disabilities to participate fully in society, breaking down barriers, and promoting inclusion as a fundamental right. It stands as a testament to the power of combining targeted support with accessible mainstream facilities, fostering equity and ensuring that no one is left behind.