Persons with disabilities often face invisible barriers – not just physical, but social and economic. Affirmative action for them is rooted in equality: the idea that treating everyone “the same” is not enough when starting lines are unequal.
Constitutions and disability laws work together here. On paper, they recognise the right to non-discrimination, dignity, and equal participation. In practice, this translates into reservations in education and jobs, quotas in certain posts, relaxation in age limits, exam accommodations, accessible infrastructure, and special schemes.
The legal logic is simple: without proactive support, disabled persons are effectively excluded from mainstream life, even if there is no open hostility. So the State is allowed – and sometimes obligated – to design targeted benefits for them, just like it does for other disadvantaged groups.
For individuals, this means they can demand ramps, lifts, accessible toilets, scribes in exams, reasonable modifications at work, and protection against being denied opportunities purely because of disability. Employers, schools and public authorities who ignore these duties may face legal action.
Affirmative action doesn’t mean charity; it means creating conditions where people with disabilities can compete and contribute on fairer terms.
