NSSO's 76th sample survey to include acid attack victims, autism

The National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO), set up in 1950 for collection of various kinds of socio-economic data, will begin its 76th round from July 1 to cover persons with disability, including acid attack victims, and drinking water, sanitation, hygiene and housing condition, an official release said here on Tuesday.

This is the first time the survey on disability is to be conducted in which some rare types of disability like autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, dwarfism, haemophilia, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, Parkinson's disease, sickle cell disease and thalassemia, as well as acid attack victims are included.

For this purpose, NSSO started a 3-day formal training of its Field Officers here on Tuesday.

The training programme was inaugurated by Additional Director General, Sample & Research Division, NSSO, Tapash K. Sanyal.

He said other forms of disabilities including physical, visual, hearing, speech and mental disability will also be taken into account as usual.

The objective of the survey of persons with disabilities is to estimate incidence and prevalence of disability, cause and facilities available to the specially-abled persons, difficulties faced by them in accessing public building and public transport, and out of pocket expenses due to disability.

The survey is being conducted after a long gap of 16 years and nationwide this will be the first survey after the formulation of Rights of Persons with Disability Act, 2016.

The other part of the survey will focus on some basic amenities like drinking water, sanitation, electricity, garbage disposal, type of dwelling units, hygiene and housing conditions etc.

The data will be collected from all parts of the country and the same will be used by the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, NITI Aayog, UNICEF, WHO, among others.

--IANS

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