It started with my brother, Aadi
When Aadi was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, my family couldn’t find clear information written for Indian families. We pieced it together ourselves. This site is what we wished we’d had.
Disability is part of India. Let’s make it visible.
दिखें, सुने जाएँ, गिने जाएँ।
Plain-language guides to every disability the law recognises, your rights and schemes, the latest court rulings, ideas worth bringing home, and petitions you can sign today.
2.68 crpeople with disabilities counted in Census 2011, or 2.21% of India. Advocates say this is a large undercount.Census of India 2011
~1.8 crestimated deaf and hard-of-hearing Indians. The 2011 census counted about 50 lakh.University of Cambridge, Mar 2025
87.6 lakhUDID disability cards issued, out of 1.15 crore applications since 2021.Rajya Sabha reply, Aug 2026
₹300a month: the Centre’s disability pension, unchanged since 2012.Down To Earth, May 2026
Need help right now?
112Police, fire or ambulance, anywhere in India, 24×7
14416Tele-MANAS: free mental health support in Indian languages, 24×7. Also 1-800-891-4416
ccpd.nic.inReport disability discrimination to the Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities
swavlambancard.gov.inApply for a disability certificate and UDID card online
If someone is having a seizure for more than 5 minutes, call 112. Turn them on their side and don’t put anything in their mouth.
What the law counts as disability
Under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016, a person with disability has a long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairment that, together with barriers around them, stops them from taking part in society on an equal basis with others.
The key idea is the second half. Stairs without a ramp, a website a screen reader can’t read, a classroom without sign language: the barrier is often the bigger problem.
A benchmark disability is 40% or more of a specified disability, certified by a government medical authority. It unlocks reservations in jobs and education, and many schemes.
The 21 specified disabilities
Guides to common conditions
Information only, not medical advice. Please see a doctor or therapist for diagnosis and treatment.
Myth or fact?
Stigma in India often rests on a few old beliefs. Here is what’s true.
Words that respect people
When in doubt, ask the person what they prefer.
| Avoid | Say instead | Why |
|---|
After a diagnosis: what to do, in order
When my brother was diagnosed, we pieced this together over months. Here it is in one place.
You don’t have to figure this out alone
Groups where parents, disabled people and carers share what worked for them. Join one for your disability, ask questions, and meet people who’ve been where you are.
Need to talk to someone today?
14416 Tele-MANAS, free and confidential mental health support in Indian languages, 24×7. Also 1-800-891-4416.
Caring for someone is hard. This line is for carers too.
Before you join a group
- Groups share experiences, not medical advice. Check anything important with your doctor or therapist.
- Keep your child’s full name, school and address out of public posts.
- Most Facebook groups ask a few questions before letting you in. Answer them so the admins know you’re a parent or carer.
- Can’t find a group for your disability? Ask your nearest organisation in the Toolkit directory. Many run their own parent meetings.
Support groups by disability
| Group | For | Who it’s for | Where it meets |
|---|
Every group was checked in October 2026 to make sure it still exists and is active. Run a support group, or know one we should list? Tell me and I’ll add it.
What courts and government decided recently
Each item links to the original report.
Ideas that work elsewhere, and how India could use them
Pick an idea to see the evidence, where India stands today, and a step-by-step plan to bring it here.
Add your name. Every signature is counted.
Each petition has a specific ask, the evidence behind it, a plan, and the office we will deliver it to.
How do signatures become action under Indian law?
No law in India sets a number of signatures that forces Parliament, a ministry or a court to act. Signatures show public support, and these are the routes that support can travel:
- Parliament. Any citizen can petition the Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha Committee on Petitions. An MP has to countersign it, and it can’t cover a matter already before a court.
- Disability Commissioners. Anyone can complain to the Chief Commissioner or a State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities.
- Courts. Any public-spirited person can file a Public Interest Litigation in a High Court or the Supreme Court. Judges decide on law and evidence, not signature counts.
- Consultations. Anyone can comment on draft government rules before the deadline.
When a petition reaches its milestone, we deliver it with the signer count and a state-wise breakdown to the office named on it, and post the response here.
Give to the people doing the work
These organisations support disabled people and their families every day. Your donation goes straight to them.
Hi, I’m Aadya
When my younger brother Aadi was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, it was hard for my family to work out how to support him. There were hardly any complete resources written for Indian families, so we had to put the information together ourselves. It was slow and tiring.
I also heard a lot of uninformed comments when I was out in public with him. More than angry, they made me sad, because they came from a lack of awareness.
In 2021, when I was 17, I designed and coded the first version of this site from Mumbai. Aadi is still the reason I do this.
I want this to be the place a family can open on the day of a diagnosis, and the place where people across India can push, together, for the laws and services disabled people are owed.
If you’re a parent, a disabled person, a teacher, a lawyer, a journalist or someone who wants to help, I’d love to hear from you.
Get in touch
Messages come straight to me. I read every one.
Ways to help
- Translate a guide into your language
- Share an organisation we should list
- Tell us about a ruling or news story we missed
- Help deliver a petition in your state