The Disability Certificate is not just a document for a person with disability but a proof of his/her disability and an important tool for availing the benefits / facilities / rights that they are entitled to, from the Central as well as State Government under various appropriate enabling legislations.

The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment had notified procedures for the Medical Boards of District Civil hospitals for issuance, assessments and the format of Disability Certificate. Details of the existing procedures are listed below.

However in view of the difficulties faced by people across the country in availing of Disability Certificates and the procedural problems, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, is currently reviewing the matter and has sought comments and suggestions from the concerned agencies/users.

Conditions for obtaining Disability Certificate

In order to become eligible for obtaining the Disability Certificate, a person with disability should fulfill the following conditions:

1. To be a Indian citizen.
2. To possess medical reports explaining type of his/her disability.
3. The minimum degree of disability should be 40% in order to be eligible.

Procedure for obtaining Certificate

• Parent of a person with disability, or a person himself, should approach to the District hospital with his request for obtaining Disability Certificate providing the following documents:-
  1. Copy of I.D. of the person with disability and 2 photographs showing the disability part.
  2. Copy of all medical and psychological reports available.
• Medical Board distributes the cases to the medical sub-committees specialized for different types of disabilities, according to the medical diagnosis of the person with disability.
• Medical Board issues the Disability Certificate to the person with disability that he should receive from the District Hospital, after its verification by the Head of the Medical Board.
• The State Governments / UT Administrations may constitute the medical boards
• The Director General of Health Services Ministry of Health and Family Welfare will be the final authority, should there arise any Controversy/doubt regarding the interpretation of the definitions/classifications/evaluations tests etc.

Process of Certifications:

Permanent/temporary certificate

The certificate would be valid for a period of five years for those whose disability is temporary. For those who acquire permanent disability, the validity can be shown as 'Permanent'.

If permanent disability certificate is not issued, then the Medical Board has to specifically mention whether the condition is progressive/non-progressive/likely to improve/not likely to improve and the Re-assessment is not recommended or re-assessment is recommended after a given period.

Procedure for obtaining Disability Card

A parent of the person with disability, or that person himself, will approach to the District Hospital providing all necessary documents and reports as following:

• Copy of the Disability Certificate.
• Two (2) personal photos.
• Copy of I.D. of the person with disability.
• Copy of the residence.
• Disabled Welfare Department/ District hospital should issue the disability card to the person at the same time, after the sighing authority has signed it.

Advantages granted to the owner of Disability Card

After perusal of the disability certificate, issued in any manner, should be a certificate valid for all practical and theoretical purposes, where the factor of an individual being a person with a disability is material.

All these schemes and services provided to Persons with disabilities differ from state wise. Some services are common but this need to standardize for every individual.

• Assistance for prosthetic aids and appliances to disabled
• Scholarship to the disabled students
• Free travels in state transport buses for disabled, issue of free bus pass
• Provision for loans for self employment
• Programme for assistance for higher education to disabled
• Grant of Incentive for Marriage between Disabled and normal persons.
• Grant of Fuel subsidy to disabled person who own motorized vehicle.
• Payment of unemployment allowance to educated disabled persons
• Financial assistance to totally disabled persons
• Award of scholarships to disabled students
• Incentive for eye donors
• Reimbursement of maintenance cost of tricycles
• Supply of sarees and dhoties to disabled persons
• State award for the welfare of the handicapped
• Supply of prosthetic appliances to disabled persons
• Supply of cooling glasses, Braille watches and walking sticks
• Annual tour for disabled persons
• International day for the disabled
• Group insurance for disabled government employees
• Group insurance for disabled other than government employees
• The scheme for financial assistance towards funeral expenses of the disabled
• Supply of invalid carriages (motorized tri-cycles) to the persons with disabilities
• Supply of musical / sports items to ph welfare associations group insurance for disabled