The provision of aids and assistive devices for employees with disabilities in Central Government Establishments under Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 201 – O.M. dated 22.09.2025
सं./ No. 18-130/2025-DD-III
भारत सरकार / Government of India
सामाजिक न्याय और अजिकाररता मंत्रालय
Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment
दिव्यांगजन सशक्तिकरण विभाग
Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities
पॉंचवा तल, पंडित दीनदयाल अंत्योदय भवन
5th Floor, Pt. Deendayal Antyodaya Bhawan,
सी जी ओ कॉम्प्लेक्स, लोधी रोड, नई दिल्ली -110003
CGO Complex, Lodhi Road, New Delhi-110003
दिनांक / Dated:22.09.2025
OFFICE MEMORANDUM
Subject: The provision of aids and assistive devices for employees with disabilities in Central Government Establishments under Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.
The undersigned is directed to refer to DoPT’s OM No. 36035/44/2023-Estt(Res-II) dated 2nd February, 2024 on the subject “Guidelines for providing certain facilities in respect of persons with disabilities who are already employed in Government for efficient performance of their duties” and to state the following:
2. The aids and assistive devices are essential for employees with disabilities to effectively discharge their duties and perform at par with the employees without disabilities. In light of recent communications from certain departments regarding the provision of aids and assistive devices to Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) at the workplace, it is clarified that entitlement to such support must be guided by the principles of reasonable accommodation as specified under RPwD Act 2016 as under:
“reasonable accommodation” means necessary and appropriate modification and adjustments, without imposing a disproportionate or undue burden in a particular case, to ensure to persons with disabilities the enjoyment or exercise of rights equally with others;”
The Note-1 of the DEPwD list of post identified for persons with disabilities, notified on 04.01.2021 (https://depwd.gov.in/en/identification-of-posts-for-pwds/), states that,
“persons with benchmark disabilities require aids and assistive devices to overcome their difficulties. The aids and assistive devices may be provided to persons with benchmark disabilities on their appointment keeping in view their requirement as per the instructions of DoPT issued from time to time.”.
3. Taking a queue from the UNCRPD, to which India is a Party since 2008, the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India in its Handbook has observed that “reasonable accommodations by their very nature depart from the status quo and thus entail some complications. Therefore, complications or additional effort on behalf of the employer or State authority are an inevitable consequence of making a reasonable accommodation. The Court clarified that only if such complications cause a disproportionate or undue burden, would the defence be applicable.” Hence, the test of undue burden should be done on a case-by-case approach.
4. India The Handbook concerning Persons with Disabilities, issued by Hon’ble Supreme Court of (https://depwd.gov.in/en/document/handbook-concerning-persons-with-disabilitiessupreme-court-of-india/), mentions providing assistive technologies, among others, for workplace accommodations under “reasonable accommodations”. Further, reasonable accommodation determinations must be made on a case-by-case basis, in consultation with the person concerned.
5. It has been observed that some departments do not give meaningful work to PwD employees, in anticipation of deterioration of output in quality and quantity. PwD employees, if given proper assistive devices, can be productive and valuable. In order to do justice to the expenditure made on remuneration to them, the PwD employees need to be engaged in a productive manner.
6. The para –C of the DOPT OM dated 2nd February, 2024 stipulates that Ministries/ Departments, their attached and subordinate offices, Central Public Sector Enterprises, Cantonment Boards, etc., should assist persons with disabilities by providing high-tech/ latest technology-led assistive devices. In this context, it is urged that good quality assistive devices may be provided to the PwD employees, to engage them to their full potential and towards benefit of the governmental system as a whole. For example, motorised wheelchairs/ tricycles, high-quality hearing aids, low vision assistive devices, etc. including low vision aids, hearing aids with battery, special furniture, software scanners, computers and other hardware, etc., may be provided to improve their efficiency. Such provisions should be identified in consultation with the employee and the concerned National Institutes under DEPwD (list enclosed), based on their specialisation and specified disabilities, assigned to them for general oversight. A review exercise shall be carried out every three years.
7. The above implies that no “one size fits all” criteria is to be used for all employees with disabilities in r/o aids/ assistive devices, required for effective discharge of their duties. An indicative/ illustrative list of softwares/ technology interventions like JAWS (Job Access with Speech)/ NVDA(Non visual Desktop Access), ORCA, large prints, tactile graphics, magnification software etc. for blind/ low vision employees; head-mouse, motorised wheelchair, high quality prosthetics or orthotics etc. for locomotor disabilities; high quality hearing aids for hearing impaired persons, text-to-speech or vice versa software for persons having difficulty in reading like dyslexia etc., LaTeX+TeX / Math ML content add-on/software etc. may be explored as reasonable accommodation on case-to-case basis to enable the employee to discharge his/ her assigned duties effectively. Please note that this list is illustrative and not exhaustive.
8. Such provision of assistive devices may be made on reimbursement basis, or the department may choose to purchase it and provide. However, a reasonable limit of INR 10 lakhs may be placed on the cost of the said assistive devices every 3 years. Only beyond this limit, or for any additional assistive device or for replacement before 3 years, the case may be referred to DePWD for comments. To avoid unwarranted delay in the process, the necessary reimbursement or purchase may be considered in the respective Department and be allowed with the approval of the Secretary of the Department/ Ministry. The level of sophistication required for effective discharge of the assigned job may be decided by the Department concerned.
(Debala Bhattacharjee)
Under Secretary to the Govt. of India
(email: debala.joarder[@]gov.in)
To
The Secretary
All Ministry/Department (as per standard list)
Copy to:
The O/o Cheif Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, 5th Floor, NISD Building, Plot No.G-2, Sector-10, Dwarka, New Delhi-110075
COMMENTS