How accurate and reliable is the AbilityScore standard?

AbilityScore reports convergent validity of r = 0.91 against established instruments (Vineland-3, CARS-2, Bayley-4, ABAS-3), test–retest reliability of ICC = 0.88, and forecast accuracy of 0.93 (1 − MAPE), on a sample of n = 300 plus 60 for test–retest, validated by the CRO Manentia Research under Protocol BHCL-VAL-2026-001.

What did the RCI's October 2025 reforms change?

The October 2025 reforms waived registration fees, extended registration validity from five to seven years with auto-renewal, designated 144 institutions as Centres of Excellence, and actively encouraged Indian-author scholarship.

The numbers

Rehabilitation workforce — the facts.

Q: How many people need rehabilitation worldwide?

The World Health Organization estimates that about 2.4 billion people live with a health condition that would benefit from rehabilitation, and names workforce capacity a core priority of its Rehabilitation 2030 initiative.

Q: How many rehabilitation professional categories does the RCI regulate?

The Rehabilitation Council of India regulates training and maintains the Central Rehabilitation Register across 16 professional categories under the RCI Act 1992.

The numbers behind the case for a shared standard: the global need, India's regulatory landscape, the validated measure at the centre of the Alliance, and the clinical estate that trains the workforce.

Become a Member → Research & Evidence

01 The global need.

The World Health Organization estimates that 2.4 billion people live with a health condition that would benefit from rehabilitation — and names workforce capacity a core priority of Rehabilitation 2030. The need is rising; the workforce is scarce and unevenly distributed.

02 India's regulatory landscape.

The Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI) is a statutory body under the RCI Act 1992 (nodal ministry MSJE / DEPwD). It regulates training and maintains the Central Rehabilitation Register across 16 professional categories, with practitioners renewing through Continuing Rehabilitation Education.

Its October 2025 reforms reshaped the field: registration fees waived; validity extended 5 → 7 years with auto-renewal; 144 institutions designated Centres of Excellence; Indian-author scholarship actively encouraged.

03 The validated standard.

The Alliance's anchor measure, AbilityScore®, was independently validated against the instruments clinicians already trust — and published open-access.

AbilityScore® 0–1000 · convergent validity r = 0.91 · test–retest ICC = 0.88 · forecast accuracy 0.93
n = 300 + 60 · vs Vineland-3, CARS-2, Bayley-4, ABAS-3 · CRO Manentia Research · Protocol BHCL-VAL-2026-001

Methodology DOI 10.5281/ZENODO.19482123 · Validation DOI 10.5281/ZENODO.19482476.

04 The estate behind the training.

Through its Anchor Institution, the Alliance opens the largest developmental-therapy estate in India for supervised practicum.

70+ centres · 4 states · 133+ languages · 25M+ therapy sessions
700+ therapists employed · 1,600+ ecosystem-trained · 12 validated studies · 16+ WIPO PCT patent applications

05 Alignment.

The Alliance aligns to the WHO ICF and Rehabilitation 2030, the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals 3, 4, 8 and 10. It complements the RCI and does not supplant it.

Explore the Alliance

Rehabilitation Workforce The IRWFA Standard Research & Evidence Resources What is IRWFA For Government The Workforce Gap Rehabilitation 2030

The Invitation

Be a Member.

Join the alliance that will carry this field forward. Membership is free in the establishment period; everyone eligible should join sooner rather than later.

Become a Member → Contact the Secretariat

members@irwfa.org · 9100 181 181