'Handicapped, retardation, mentally subnormal'- Doctors decry Outdated Terms in Physiotherapy Curriculum

New Delhi: Claiming that the new curriculum handbook for physiotherapy uses "outdated" and "derogatory" terms for the disabled, doctors have urged the Chairperson of the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions (NCAHP) to align the curriculum with the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2026 and the Human Rights Standards before its rollout in 2026.

The Doctors with Disabilities, a network of health professionals with disabilities, has alleged that despite the RPDA 2016 mandates and the WHO's call for rights-based disability competencies in the 2022 Global Report, the Bachelors in Physiotherapy (BPT) Curriculum failed to incorporate disability as a human rights issue and it relied solely on the medical model, reducing disability to management and treatment, and omitted the core principles such as ableism, dignity, universal design, and reasonable accommodation.

In the letter, addressed to the NCAHP Chairperson, the organisational head of the association, Dr. Satendra Singh, argued that the curriculum was in sharp contrast to the NMC curriculum, which, following sustained advocacy, now includes basic disability competencies.

Further, the use of 'outdated, derogatory' terms such as 'handicapped', 'retardation', and mentally subnormal etc were also highlighted. Referring to these terms, Dr. Singh mentioned in the letter that the use of these terms "is deeply troubling and legally indefensible." He claimed that reliance was placed on the older 1995 Disabilities Act at a couple of places.

Dr. Singh also pointed out that the admission to Physiotherapy courses was even more restrictive than those for MBBS, MD and MS courses. He pointed out that NCAHP had barred certain students with disabilities from pursuing physiotherapy education, even though these individuals were otherwise eligible for undergraduate and postgraduate medical courses.

Referring to Section 4.3.1.7 of the guidelines, Dr. Singh further added in the letter, "These restrictions are especially indefensible when students with similar or more severe disabilities have been deemed eligible for far more rigorous medical programs."

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He argued that these new guidelines violated the recent Supreme Court rulings in the case of Omkar Gond v. UOI, which allowed more than 40% speech impairment; Om Rathod v. DGHS, which upheld the eligibility for a person with 88% muscular dystrophy, and Anmol v. NMC, which approved a candidate having upper limb disabilities.

Further, he pointed out that the admission criteria also stated that the applicants needed to furnish a certificate of physical fitness from an Authorized Medical Attendant to confirm the absence of any physical disability, as per the specified guidelines.

"This fitness certificate to “ascertain absence of disability” is an outright contradiction of RPDA provisions and perpetuates ableist gatekeeping. Further, clause 3.2.5.2 restricts eligibility for academic or research designations to only "differently-abled" (physically and visually) categories, excluding other disability groups that are entitled to 4% reservation under the RPDA 2016. While the MPT curriculum includes a requirement (Section 5.17) for institutions to have fully accessible physical infrastructure for persons with disabilities, this provision is conspicuously absent from the BPT curriculum requirements," the letter further stated.

Dr Singh also pointed out in the letter that the new physiotherapy curriculum reduces humanistic learning to optional "soft skills", ignoring global trends and Indian initiatives that emphasize the centrality of humanities in health professions education. "As someone who has participated in WHO SEARO consultations with MoHFW officials on integrating medical humanities—including at the 2023 Colombo regional workshop and the 2024 World Health Summit—I strongly urge inclusion of structured humanities content. The current reference materials are also outdated (e.g., citing a 2000 RCI publication over the 2022 WHO Global Report on Health Equity for Persons with Disabilities), which further distances the curriculum from present-day realities," he mentioned.

He also expressed disappointment over the fact that only a 15-day window was provided for public consultation, violating the minimum 30-day requirement for stakeholder feedback, adding that "such limited engagement undermines the spirit of participatory governance and transparency."

The association has urged the NCAHP to ensure that before the rollout of the 2026 curriculum- the disability rights-based competencies aligned with RPDA 2016 and WHO standards are integrated, discriminatory admission guidelines against students and disabilities are revoked and health humanities as an essential component is included in the curriculum.

"We are committed to collaborating with NCAHP in making these essential revisions and would be honored to contribute our expertise as practitioners, educators, and policy contributors. These changes are not just legally required—they are ethically imperative. They will help future physiotherapists and allied health professionals deliver care that is compassionate, inclusive, and grounded in the values of justice and dignity," the letter further added.

Speaking to Medical Dialogues regarding the issue, Dr. Singh said, "Revising the physiotherapy curriculum isn’t merely about compliance—it’s about conscience. We must educate future physiotherapists to treat not just bodies, but to uphold the values of justice, dignity, and inclusive care."

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