There was a ray of hope for differently-abled people in India on Monday when President Pratibha Devisingh Patil announced a separate Department of Disability Affairs in her speech on the first day of the Budget session of Parliament.The Ministry of Civil Aviation also decided to review the existing guidelines for persons with special needs in the wake of a spate of incidents of discrimination faced by them at airports across the country.

A separate Department of Disability Affairs is proposed to be set up for greater focus on addressing issues confronting persons with disabilities and the government is considering a new legislation for persons with disabilities to replace the existing Act, the President said in her speech — bringing cheer among the groups working in the sector. At present, the disability sector is under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, and partially under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation has also decided to set up a committee to review the existing guidelines governing the screening process for differently-abled persons at the airports.