The Bhutanese Leading the way.
The government’s manifesto has a section highlighting a commitment to creating an inclusive society for persons with disabilities (PWDs), with policy measures ranging from implementing the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) to increasing funding for inclusive education and employment support.
However, despite these policies, organizations and individuals working closely with the community point out gaps in implementation of the said policies.
The government pledged that they would acrtively implement the provisions of the CRPD and while Ability Bhutan society appreciates the government’s ratification of the UNCRPD in 2023 and the allocation of a Nu 300 million grant for all CSOs. However, they note that there has been little visible change in terms of disability-inclusive infrastructure, even in the capital.
The government also pledged that they would also implement the provisions of the guidelines on disable friendly infrastructure and CSOs state that despite policies promoting disabled-friendly infrastructure, gaps in implementation are very much present.
The next pledge was that the government strengthen health checkup services to detect and prevent possible disabilities in infants. The Ministry of Health, in collaboration with Save the Children, launched the Care for Child Development (C4CD) program in 2017, which has the potential to identify disabilities in infants. Inclusive schools have also increased, and budget allocations for learning materials in teaching-learning centers have improved.
Phensem, a civil society organization (CSO) working with the vision of empowering and supporting parents/primary caregivers (predominantly mothers) and families, and persons with disabilities said that raising a child with disabilities comes with significant financial strain. While basic healthcare services are free, the cost of raising a child with disabilities is high, with additional expenses for diapers, special dietary requirements, therapy, and medical checkups. With limited intervention facilities available in the country, many parents seek healthcare services outside the country, such as in Siliguri, and the ones who can afford it go to even beyond.
The government also pledged that they would provide employment and business support to persons with disablities by facilitating employment, instituting special loan schemes, and providing skills training. The Minister of Commerce, Industry and Employment, Namgyal Dorji, said that the government is focusing on incentive-based hiring, where employers receive fiscal benefits, public recognition, or other rewards for creating inclusive workplaces.
The Department of Employment and Entrepreneurship (DoEE) is responsible for employment facilitation, offering a wide range of school-to-work transition support services such as job engagement programs, skills training, entrepreneurship development, and direct employment referrals, ensuring that these services are accessible to all segments, including PWDs.
The government also pledged that they would Institute special start-up credit schemes for persons with disabilities interested in starting businesses and increase the number of schools for special needs children to ensure uninterrupted access to education for these children.
While most CSOs are unaware of the special start-up credit schemes, the ABS said that the number of Inclusive Education schools (IE) has increased. The schools have also been receiving funding in IE schools for developing disable friendly infrastructure for the students. The government had also allocated Wangsel Institute for the Deaf some fund for retrofitting existing infrastructure and procure sensory equipments.
The recently launched Youth Engagement and Livelihood Program (YELP) Guideline 2024 explicitly identifies PWDs as a priority target group, alongside startup entrepreneurs, vocational graduates, overseas returnees, individuals in conflict with the law, and laid-off employees. Importantly, Clause 12 of the guideline exempts PWDs from undergoing the standard selection process, making them automatically eligible for program benefits, which include one-year support with possible extensions.
Phensem has sought the support of programs like the Youth Engagement and Livelihood Program (YELP) to help parents employ Aides by supplementing the salaries of these Aides by Nu 6,000–7,000 per month but this is support is only for a year. If the Government could support the engagement of Aides for a longer duration across the country it would not only help children with disability get an education and prepare them to be productive adults but also teach other children to learn to accept, interact and live with children with diverse abilities to form a inclusive Bhutanese Society.
When it comes to supporting the parents of the PwDs, as pledged by the government to support the parents of the persons with disabilities by allowing flexible working hours, supporting employment of domestic helpers and providing specialized training support to take care of children with disabilities, Phensem said that while parents raising children with disability are challenged with increased costs of living, they are faced with limited income generating opportunities where the parents face the difficult decision of choosing to provide intensive early intervention and care for the child by giving up one of the parents’ career.
For parents who are employed, Although policies exist to support flexible working hours, Phensem notes that not many workplaces adhere to these guidelines; some parents face work constraints that require them to live in different districts, separating families and that if these policies were laws rather than mere guidelines, they would be taken more seriously by employers.
