Disability Group Seeks Essential Status For Communication Aids, Prostheses

Disability rights advocates have urged the Government to classify augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices and prostheses as essential assistive products under the draft Rights of Persons with Disabilities (Amendment) Rules, 2026.

AAC devices include picture-based communication boards, speech-generating devices and applications that convert text or symbols into speech.

Disability group Doctors with Disabilities: Agents of Change (DwDAoC) pointed out that placing them in a specialised category could affect access to insurance coverage, replacement and other protections.

The draft classifies augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices and prostheses under “specialised assistive products” rather than “essential assistive products”.

In a representation to the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), the Union Health Ministry, the ICMR and other government bodies, DwDAoC, led by Dr Satendra Singh, called for changes to the proposed classification, arguing that the complexity involved in providing an assistive product should not determine whether it is considered essential.

Dr Singh, a disability rights activist, said AAC devices can be the primary means of communication for people who cannot rely on speech alone.

“These devices enable them to express their needs, report pain, make decisions, give informed consent and participate in education, employment and public life."

“Similarly, prostheses can be central to mobility, independence and social participation for people who need and choose to use them,” said Dr Singh in the letter.

The representation raised concerns that classifying these products as specialised rather than essential could create uncertainty over the protections and entitlements available to users under the proposed rules.

“We welcome the Government's initiative to establish non-negotiable accessibility standards for assistive products and technology,” the group said, while urging it to reconsider the proposed classification.

It also called for equitable access to insurance, public financing, replacement, maintenance and grievance redressal, irrespective of whether a product requires specialist assessment or technical support.

The group drew the Government's attention to India's obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), ratified by the country in 2007, and the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016. Section 2(f) of the Act explicitly includes augmentative and alternative modes of communication in its definition of communication.

In the letter, Dr Singh also referred to the World Health Organization's Priority Assistive Products List, which includes communication aids and artificial limbs, and the Indian Council of Medical Research's National List of Essential Assistive Products (NLEAP), 2023. The latter includes prostheses among its 21 prioritised products.

According to the representation, products that require specialised assessment, fitting, programming, rehabilitation or follow-up should not automatically be placed in a less protected category. Instead, the rules should specify the clinical and technical support required to ensure safe and effective use.

The group has also urged the Government to consult persons with disabilities and their representative organisations, including AAC users, prosthesis users, healthcare professionals with disabilities and relevant technical experts, before finalising the Rules.

The draft rules, issued under the RPwDs Act, 2016, propose a framework for standards and accessibility of assistive products and technology.

The notification follows a Supreme Court directive calling for clear, non-negotiable accessibility requirements under Section 40 of the Act.