Mon Mar 31 16:35:22 UTC 2025: ## Tamil Nadu Families Bear Crushing Financial Burden for Disabled Children, Study Reveals

**Chennai, March 31, 2025** – A new study by the Centre for Inclusive Policy (CIP) has revealed the staggering financial strain placed on families in Tamil Nadu caring for children with disabilities. The research, focusing on families with monthly incomes between ₹20,000 and ₹60,000, found that these families spend six times their monthly income on the well-being of their disabled children.

Caregiving assistance constitutes the largest portion of these expenses, followed by assistive devices and healthcare. For children with complex medical conditions, healthcare costs dominate. Families supporting adults with disabilities face an even greater burden, spending six to ten times their monthly income, largely on care services and transportation.

The study highlights the inadequacy of government support. While the Tamil Nadu government covers only 20-30% of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) list of priority assistive devices, families bear the brunt of the remaining costs, including the majority of care services. Furthermore, many essential goods and services remain inaccessible or unaffordable for people with disabilities.

Meenakshi Balasubramanian of the CIP and a member of the Disability Rights Alliance, noted the lack of progress since the study’s publication, emphasizing the inaccessibility of assistive devices for certain communities, such as the deaf-blind, and the absence of government policies regarding personal assistance.

Disability activists are calling for increased social security allowances, currently at ₹2,000 per month, to ₹6,000 for individuals with benchmark disabilities and an additional ₹10,000 for those with high support needs. The study recommends a comprehensive needs assessment and government initiatives to provide personal assistants and care services, particularly focusing on childcare and individuals with high support needs. With over 15 lakh people with disabilities estimated to live in Tamil Nadu, the study underscores the urgent need for increased government support and accessible services.

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