Forgotten Youth: Disability and Development in India

In 2001, it is estimated that 270 million Indians belonged in the 12-24 years age group. While attention is being focused on these young people’s potential for social transformation, some of them – such as those with disabilities – remain alienated from mainstream debates on development. It may be estimated that there are somewhere between 5 and 5.5 million persons with disabilities in the 12-24 years age group, so they form a significant minority. Little is known about their experiences, however, nor how they and the others around them make sense of their lives and perceive their transition to adulthood as their surrounding milieu is transformed. In this the author adapts the framework of transitions proposed by the World Bank’s World Development Report 200 7 to examine opportunities for young people with disabilities in the areas of learning, work and citizenship. I use existing literature to review secondary data and to analyse the lived experiences of young people with disabilities. What are their prospects in a time of optimism for Indian youth? [RECOUP WP]