MEDICO LEGAL STATUS OF DEAF PERSONS IN INDIA

Deaf persons worldwide constitute an invisible minority community. In India, 63 million people (6.3%) suffer from significant auditory loss.1 The National Sample Survey (NSS) 58th round (2002) surveyed disability in Indian households and found that hearing disability was the second most common cause of disability. In urban areas, hearing loss was 9% of all disabilities and in rural areas it was 10%. Overall estimates show that hearing disability was 291 per 1, 00,000 persons. The Constitution of India, is equally applicable to all citizens of India, whether normal or disabled2. The term “disability” has not been defined in the Constitution of India. However, under the Constitution the disabled have been guaranteed fundamental rights.