ACID ATTACK VICTIMS & RPWD ACT

After India signed and ratified the UNCRPD in 2007, the process of enacting a new
legislation in place of the Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995 (PWD Act, 1995)
began in 2010 to make it compliant with the UNCRPD. After series of consultation
meetings and drafting process, the Rights of Person with Disabilities Act, 2016
(RPWD Act, 2016) was passed by both the houses of the Parliament on India. In the
Act the list of disabilities has been expanded from 7 to 21 and newly includes
cerebral palsy, dwarfism, muscular dystrophy, acid attack victims, hard of hearing,
speech and language disability, specific learning disabilities, autism spectrum
disorders, chronic neurological disorders such as multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's
disease, blood disorders such as haemophilia, thalassemia, and sickle cell anaemia,
and multiple disabilities. There are some provisions for right and facilities provide
to acid attack victims in the legislations. This paper mainly focuses on acid attack
victims under the light of legislation. There is some discrepancy in the RPWD Act
like acid attack victims benefited due to disfigured while there are no any comment
for a person disfigured due to acid accident, burned by fire or electric shock.