‘It goes against the spirit of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act’

About 100 persons with disabilities courted arrest in the city on Thursday when they staged a protest against the proposed GST levies on assistive aids and appliances for the disabled, said S. Nambu Rajan, State general secretary, Tamil Nadu Association for the Rights of All Types of Disabled and Caregivers, which organised the protest.

“Protests were held in 22 places across the State, with a total of around 4,000 protesters,” he said.

The demonstration comes in the wake of the proposed GST levies of between 5 and 18% for various devices and equipment used by persons with disabilities. For instance, Braille typewriters will have levies of 18%, hearing aids will have 12% levies, cars for physically disabled will have 18% levies, while parts of wheelchairs, tricycles and artificial limbs will have 5% levies.

“All of these appliances and devices are essential for a large number of persons with disabilities. They are currently exempt from all taxes. Persons with disabilities in the country are already struggling and this will lead to an increase in costs of these devices. This also goes against the spirit of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016,” he said.

Other disability rights activists have tweeted their ire. Mr. Rajan has pointed out in his tweets that the levies are a violation of the reasonable accommodation enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, to which India is a signatory. “Crutches and wheelchairs are legs for many of us” one of his tweets said, while another pointed out that India is not a disabled-friendly country and that persons with disabilities cannot use public transport which makes adapted cars the only way many can access the outside world.

Mr. Rajan said copies of their representation has been sent to the Prime Minister and Finance Minister and they were also approaching States to raise this issue. “We urge the Finance Minister to withdraw this proposal,” he said.