Section 2. Definitions

(1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,--

(a) "Chairperson" means the Chairperson of the Council appointed under sub-section (3) of section 3;

(b) "Council" means the Rehabilitation Council of India constituted under section 3;

¹[(c) "handicapped" means a person suffering from any disability referred to in clause (i) of section 2 of the Persons With Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995 (1 of 1996);]

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(f) "member" means a member appointed under sub-section (3) of section 3 and includes the Chairperson;

(g) "Member-Secretary" means the Member-Secretary appointed under sub-section (1) of section 8;

(h) "mental retardation" means a condition of arrested or incomplete development of mind of a person which is specially characterised by sub-normality of intelligence;

(i) "notification" means a notification published in the Official Gazette;

(j) "prescribed" means prescribed by regulations;

(k) "recognised rehabilitation qualifications" means any of the qualifications included in the Schedule;

(l) "Register" means the Central Rehabilitation Register maintained under sub-section (1) of section 23;

(m) "regulations" means regulations made under this Act;

⁵[(ma) "rehabilitation" refers to a process aimed at enabling persons with disabilities to reach and maintain their optimal physical, sensory, intellectual, psychiatric or social functional levels;]

(n) "rehabilitation professionals" means--

(i) audiologists and speech therapists;

(ii) clinical psychologists;

(iii) hearing aid and ear mould technicians;

(iv) rehabilitation engineers and technicians;

(v) special teachers for educating and training the handicapped;

(vi) vocational counsellors, employment officers and placement officers dealing with handicapped;

(vii) multi-purpose rehabilitation therapists, technicians; or

(viii) such other category of professionals as the Central Government may, in consultation with the Council, notify from time to time;

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⁵[(1A) Words and expressions used and not defined in this Act but defined in the Persons With Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995 (1 of 1996) shall have the meanings respectively assigned to them in that Act.]

(2) Any reference in this Act to any enactment or any provision thereof shall, in relation to an area in which such enactment or such provision is not in force, be construed as a reference to the corresponding law or the relevant provision of the corresponding law, if any, in force in that area.