CASE STUDY: Assessment for inclusion: Promoting equity and justice in Disability Assessment Boards in India

This case study involves a successful medical aspirant with 88% mobility disability who was denied admission by the Disability Assessment Board (DAB). After failing to get relief from the High Court, the candidate challenged the decision in the Supreme Court. The Court ordered a reassessment by another DAB but found their approach - based on the medical model of disability - unsatisfactory. Consequently, the Court directed an independent functional competency assessment conducted by a doctor with a disability. The new assessment adopted a human rights model of disability while offering opportunities such as simulation labs and detailed discussions on clinical accommodations to assess his abilities rather than focusing on his disability. The Supreme Court endorsed the ability-based assessment, critiqued the National Medical Commission's guidelines, and ordered the candidate's admission. Additionally, the Court directed the regulator to revise the existing guidelines, considering technological advancements, disability justice, and input from doctors with disabilities.