CONTENTS

➢ INTRODUCTION

➢ DISABILITY

➢ PREVELANCE IN INDIA

➢ MODELS OF DISABILITY

➢ TYPES OF DISABILITY

➢ DISABILITY ASSESSMENT

➢ DISABILITY CERTTIFICATION

➢ CONCLUSION

➢ REFERENCES
INTRODUCTION
 RPWD ACT ALSO MESION RIGHTS IT CAN CONSIDER AS PROBLEM
Disabled people have agreed 12 basic requirements to ensure equality for all within our society.

1. Full access to the Environment (towns, countryside & buildings)

2. An accessible Transport system
3. Technical aids and equipment
4. Accessible/adapted housing
5. Personal Assistance and support
6. Inclusive Education and Training
7. An adequate Income
8. Equal opportunities for Employment
9. Appropriate and accessible Information
10. Advocacy (towards self-advocacy)
11. Counselling
12. Appropriate and Accessible Health Care

Disability is an umbrella term, covering impairments, activity limitations, and

participation restrictions. Impairment is a problem in body function or structure; an activity
limitation is a difficulty encountered by an individual in executing a task or action; while a
participation restriction is a problem experienced by an individual in involvement in life
situations.
Throughout centuries, the disabled have been oppressed, marginalized and stigmatized in
almost all societies. They constitute a section of the population, which is most backward, least
served and grossly neglected. People with disability are the poorest of the poor and weakest of
the weak that have been socially, educationally and economically disadvantaged; thus having
customarily denied their right to self-assertion, identity and development. Over centuries,
societies have attempted to explain the place of people with disabilities in the social order.
People with disabilities have been largely provided through solutions that segregate them, such
as residential institutions and special schools. However, responses to disability have changed
since the 1970s, prompted largely by the self-organization of people with disabilities, and by the
growing tendency to see disability as a human rights issue. Policy has now shifted towards
community and educational inclusion, and medically focused solutions have given way to more
interactive approaches recognizing that people are disabled by environmental factors as well as
by their bodies.
Far from being a mere physical fact, disability is also a normative, cultural, and legal
construct. What a society at a particular time in its history considers to be a disabling
conditioning reflects its conception of a normal and socially functional human being; and hence
in a way it reflects society’s self-image. The recognition of a physical and mental condition as
disabling by a society is also a tacit acceptance by it of its responsibility towards people
considered disabled. A society with a deep ethos of social responsibility is likely to be more open
in its definition of disability. National and international initiatives – such as the United Nations
Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities of Persons with Disabilities – have
incorporated the human rights of people with disabilities, culminating in 2006 with the adoption
of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPWD). It
documents the circumstances of persons with disabilities across the world and explores measures
to promote their social participation, ranging from health and rehabilitation to education and
employment.

Disability

Disability has been defined in several ways:

The World Health Organization (WHO)defined disability as “Disturbances in or inability to
perform social roles
that would be normally expected of an individual in his habitual milieu,
arising in association with a physical or mental disorder.
” It has also defined disability as the Inability to participate or perform at a socially desirable
level in such activities as self-care, social relationships, work and situationally appropriate
behavior.

“Person with benchmark disability” means a person with not less than forty per cent of a
specified disability where specified disability has not been defined in measurable terms and
includes a person with disability where specified disability has been defined in measurable terms,
as certified by the certifying authority- RPWD ACT,2016

“Person with disability” means a person with long term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory
impairment which, in interaction with barriers, hinders his full and effective participation in
society equally with others- RPWD ACT, 2016

The term ‘disability’ has many different meanings; the Global Burden of Disease (GBD)
however, uses the term disability to refer to loss of health, where health is conceptualized in
terms of functioning capacity in a set of health domains such as mobility, cognition, hearing and
vision (WHO 2004).

Difference between Impairment, Disability and Handicap

Disability is not all alone sometimes impairment and handicap was used interchangeably, but
these terms has different meanings and describe different concepts. To promote appropriate use
of these terms - The World Health Organization (WHO 1976) draws on a three–fold distinction
between impairment, disability and handicap:

•Impairment is any loss or abnormality of psychological, physiological or anatomical

structure or functions generally taken to be at organ level.

• Disability is any restriction or lack of ability (resulting from an impairment) to perform an

activity in the manner or within the range considered normal for a human being.

• Handicap is a disadvantage for an individual, resulting from an impairment or disability

that limits or prevents fulfillment of a role that is considered normal for that individual.

International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF)

The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) is a framework for
describing and organizing information on functioning and disability. ICF is WHO's framework
for health and disability which received approval from all 191 World Health Organization
(WHO) member states on May 22, 2001, during the 54th World Health Assembly. It provides a
standard language and a conceptual basis for the definition and measurement of health and
disability. The ICF can also be used to understand and measure the positive aspects of
functioning such as body functions, activities, participation and environmental facilitation. The
ICF adopts neutral language and does not distinguish between the type and cause of disability –
for instance, between “physical” and “mental” health. “Health conditions” are diseases, injuries,
and disorders, while “impairments” are specific decrements in body functions and structures,
often identified as symptoms or signs of health conditions. ICF is named as it is because of its
stress is on health and functioning, rather than on disability. The ICF is universal because it
covers all human functioning and treats disability as a continuum rather than categorizing people
with disabilities as a separate group: disability is a matter of more or less, not yes or no. It is
useful for a range of purposes – research, surveillance, and reporting – related to describing and
measuring health and disability, including: assessing individual functioning, goal setting,
treatment, and monitoring; measuring outcomes and evaluating services; determining eligibility
for welfare benefits; and developing health and disability surveys.

Prevalence of Disability in India

The NSO, a wing of the Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation, has conducted a
Survey of Persons with Disabilities during July 2018 to December 2018 as a part of 76th round
of National Sample Survey (NSS). Prior to this, the survey on the same subject was carried out
by the NSO during the 58th round (July-December 2002). Overall percentage of persons with
disability in the population was 2.2 per cent during July 2018 to December 2018 in the country,
showed a National Statistical Office (NSO) survey report on Saturday. In India, prevalence of
disability (percentage of persons with disability in the population) was 2.2 per cent - with 2.3 per
cent in rural and 2 per cent in urban areas. Prevalence of disability was higher among males than
females. Among males, prevalence of disability was 2.4 per cent, while it was 1.9 per cent
among females The present survey covered 1.18 lakh households across India. About 28.8 per
cent reported that they had a certificate of disability.
Disabled population in India as per census 2011, out of the 121 Cr population, 2.68 Cr
persons are disabled which is 2.17% of the total population. Among the disabled population 56%
(1.5Cr) are males and 44% (1.18Cr) are females. In the total population, the male and female
population is 51% and 49% respectively. Majority (69%) of the disabled population resided in
rural areas (1.86Cr disabled persons in rural areas and 0.81 Cr in urban areas). In the case of total
population also, 69% are from rural areas while the remaining 31% resided in urban areas. In
India it is estimated that 40 to 80 million people suffer from various disabilities. It is estimated
that about 10% of the general population suffers from common mental disorders, with 1% having
major psychiatric illness. In spite of vigorous treatment with continuous medications, about 30%
of chronic patients with psychotic illness suffer from various disabilities. Out of this, 46 million
individuals are moderately or severely disabled and they need rehabilitation. Of this, 50% of
them have locomotor disabilities, 2-3% of them have mental retardation, and 1% of them have
severe psychiatric disability. In a recent 14-country study of disability associated with physical
and mental conditions active psychosis was ranked the third most disabling condition.

MODELS OF DISABILITY

The Moral Model: Disability as an Act of God (Bowe, 1978; Henderson &Bryan, 2011:7;
Rimmerman, 2013:24)

The moral model of disability is the oldest model of disability and refers to the attitude that
people are morally responsible for their own disability (Bowe, 1978). According to this model,
disability is regarded as a punishment from God for a particular sin or sins that may have been
committed by the person with disability. Sometimes it is not only the individuals’ sin that is
regarded as a possible cause of their disability, but also any sin that may have been committed by
their parents and/or ancestors (Henderson & Bryan 2011:7). Elaborating on the negative impact
of this model on the individual with disability and his or her family, Rimmerman (2013:24)
emphasizes the potentially destructive consequences of such a view, in the sense that it may lead
to entire families being excluded from social participation in their local communities believe that
some disabilities are the result of lack of adherence to social morality and religious
proclamations that warn against engaging in certain behavior. To further explain this model,
some beliefs are based upon the assumption that some disabilities are the result of punishment
from an all-powerful entity. Furthermore, the belief is that the punishment is for an act or acts of
transgression against prevailing moral and/or religious edicts.
The Tragedy/Charity Model:Disability as Victimhood (Duyan (2007:71); (Henderson &
Bryan 2011:7–8); Seale (2006:10)

According to the charity model, PWDs are victims of circumstance who should be pitied. This
model is driven largely by the emotive appeals of charity. The model treats people with
disabilities as helpless victims needing care and protection and has a charity and benevolence
based outlook rather than justice and equality. Charity model justifies the exclusion of persons
with disabilities from social arrangements and mainstream education and employment.
Entitlement rights are substituted by relief measures creating an army of powerless individuals
without any control or bargaining power depending either on state allocated fund or benevolent
individuals. In contrast with the moral and/or religious model of disability, which has a largely
negative view of PWDs, the charity model seeks to act to the benefit of PWDs, encouraging
‘humane treatment of persons with disabilities’. Many people in the disability community regard
the charity model in a very negative light. The model is often seen as depicting PWDs as
helpless, depressed and dependent on other people for care and protection, contributing to the
preservation of harmful stereotypes and misconceptions about PWDs.

The Medical Model: Disability as a Disease (Carlson (2010:5); Thomas & Woods (2003:15)

The medical model views disability as aproblem of the person, directly caused by disease,
trauma, or other health condition which requires medical care provided in the form of individual
treatment by professionals. This model perceives disability as a deviation from the normality and
a problem that resides within the individual (Thomas & Woods 2003:15). The goals of
intervention are cure, amelioration of the physical condition to the greatest extent possible, and
rehabilitation Persons with disabilities are expected to avail to a variety of services offered to
them and to spend time as a patient being helped by trained professionals (Carlson 2010:5)

. The Social Model: Disability as a Socially Constructed Phenomenon(D’Alessio 2011:44); (Barnes, Mercer &
Shakespeare 2010:163).

According to the social model, it is the society which disables people with impairments, and
therefore any meaningful solution must be directed at societal change rather than individual
adjustment and rehabilitation (Barnes, Mercer & Shakespeare 2010:163). The social model of
disability views the issue of disability as a socially created problem and as a matter of full
integration of such individuals into society. The model does not hold disability as an individual
attribute but rather a complex collection of conditions, many of which are created by social
[Link], this model advocates for a collective social action to manage the problem.
Thus, it is this collective responsibility of society at large to make the necessary environmental
modifications for the full participation of people with disabilities in different areas of social life.

Economic Model: Disability as a Challenge to Productivity (Armstrong, Noble &

Rosenbaum 2006:151 Aylward, Cohen & Sawney 201; Smart 2004)

The economic model of disability approaches disability from the viewpoint of economic
analysis, focusing on ‘the variousdisabling effects of impairment on a person’s capabilities, and
in particular on labour and employment capabilities’(Armstrong, Noble & Rosenbaum 2006:151,
original emphasis). The economic model is often utilized by governments as a basic point of
reference for formulating disability policy (Jordan 2008:193). The economic model of disability
has been criticized for framing disability almost exclusively in terms of a cost– benefit analysis,
neglecting to take other important factors into account (cf. Aylward, Cohen & Sawney 2013;
Smart 2004). Such an economic focus may contribute to the dehumanization of the person with
disability as someone who is somehow ‘missing parts’ (Stone cited by Smart 2004:40).

The Human Rights Model: Disability as a Human Rights Issue (Degener 2017:43).

Over the past two decades, dramatic shift in the perspective has taken place from an approach
motivated by charity towards persons with disabilities to one based on rights. Human rights
model offers a theoretical framework for disability policy that emphasizes the human dignity of
PWDs (Degener 2017:43). Disability is positioned as an important dimension of human culture
by human rights model. According to human rights model, all human beings irrespective of their
disabilities have certain rights which are unchallengeable. By emphasizing that the disabled are
equally entitled to rights as others, this model builds upon the spirit of the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights, 1948 according to which all human beings are born free and equal in rights
and dignity.

TYPES OF DISABILITIES

Right of Persons With Disabilities (RPWD) Act, 2016came into effect as replacement to the
Persons with Disabilities (PWD) Act, 1995. It was in accordance with the United Nations
Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPWD) of 2006 which marked a shift
from the charity based approach to a rights based approach towards persons with disabilities,
worldwide. India was a signatory to the convention and RPWD ACT 2016 is an attempt to
integrate the principles for empowerment of the disabled laid down in this convention. The types
of disabilities in the RPWD ACT of 2016 have been increased from initial 7 to 21 and the
Central Government will have the power to add more types of disabilities. The 21 disabilities are
given below:

AABCCD HHI LLLMMMM PSSST

1. Autism Spectrum Disorder

2. Acid Attack
3. Blindness
4. Cerebral Palsy
5. Chronic Neurological conditions
6. Dwarfism
7. Hearing Impairment (deaf and hard of hearing)
8. Hemophilia
9. Intellectual Disability
 10. Low-vision
11. . Leprosy Cured persons
12. Locomotor Disability
13. . Mental Illness
14. Muscular Dystrophy
15. 14. Multiple Sclerosis
16. 19. Multiple Disabilities including deaf-blindness victim
17. 21. Parkinson’s disease
18. 15. Speech and Language disability 13.
19. Specific Learning Disabilities 18.
20. Sickle Cell disease
21. Thalassemia ,

Disability Assessment

One of the greatest challenges faced by mental health and rehabilitation professionals has been
the measurement of the severity of disability and impairment. Disability represents the social
manifestation of intra-psychic events and the assessment of the latter is heavily dependent on
patient cooperation apart from requiring multiple sources of data for corroboration. Disability
represents the lowered performance of the individual in a variety of social roles that are
universally meaningful. Its measurement, therefore, is possible through a cross-sectional
interview even if the phenomenon under assessment occurs longitudinally.
1. Intellectual Disability

Definitin

“Intellectual disability is characterized by significant limitations both in intellectual functioning

and in adaptive behavior as expressed in conceptual, social and practical adaptive skills. This
disability originates before age 18.”- American Association on Intellectual and Developmental
Disabilities (AAID)

“Intellectual Disability, a condition characterized by significant limitation both in intellectual

functioning (reasoning, learning, problem solving and in adaptive behavior which covers a range
of everyday, social and practical skills.”- RPWD ACT, 2016

Screening:

Many of these children are on follow-up with pediatricians as developmental delay. Hence,
they can be assessed by pediatricians and screened for associated co- morbidities, viz.
hearing/ vision/ locomotor impairments/ epilepsy. Then these children are referred for
detailed assessment.

Diagnosis:

The screened children will be referred to Child/Clinical Psychologists for adaptive

functioning and IQ testing. The tools that can be used for the same include:

i. Adaptive function: VSMS ii. IQ

testing: BKT/MISIC

Based on the above, the diagnosis of ID will be confirmed. Based on adaptive functioning
assessment, severity scoring will be done and disability for ID will be charted.

Disability Calculation:

The disability calculation will be done on the basis of VSMS score. The following will be
used for disability calculation.

i. VSMS score 0-20: Profound Disability- 100%

ii. VSMS score 21-35: Severe Disability- 90% iii. VSMS score
36-54: Moderate Disability- 75% iv. VSMS score 55-69: Mild
Disability- 50% v. VSMS score 70-84: Borderline Disability-
25%

Age for Certification:

The minimum age for certification will be one (01) completed year. Children above 1 year
and up to the age of 5 years shall be given a diagnosis as Global Developmental Delay
(GDD). Children above the age of 5 years will be given a diagnosis and certificate as
Intellectual Disability.

Validity of Certificate:

i. A Temporary certificate will be given to children who are less than 5 years. The
certificate will be valid for maximum 3 years/ 5 years age. (whichever is earlier) ii. For
children more than 5 years: The certificate will mention a renewal age
Medical Authority (To Be Present At The Time Of Certification):

i. The Medical Superintendent or ChiefMedical Officer or Civil Surgeon or any other

equivalent authority as notified by the State Government will be the head of the Medical
Board. The Authority shall comprise of:

a. The Medical Superintendent or Chief Medical Officer or Civil Surgeon

or any other equivalent authority as notified by the State Government. b.
Pediatrician or PediatricNeurologist (whichever available) /
Psychiatrist or Physician (if age >18 years) c. Clinical or
Rehabilitation Psychologist d. Psychiatrist

2. Autism Spectrum Disorder

Definition:

A pervasive developmental disorder defined by the presence of abnormal and/or impaired

development that is manifest before the age of 3 years, and by the characteristic type of
abnormal functioning in all three areas of social interaction, communication, and restricted,
repetitive behavior. – (ICD 10)
Autism Spectrum Disorder is a lifelong neurological condition typically appearing in the
first three years of life that is marked by pervasive impairments in the areas of social skills
and communication; often associated with hyper-or-hypo-reactivity to sensory input;
unusual interest of stereotypical rituals, or behaviors; and may or may not be accompanied
by intellectual impairment.- ( RPWD ACT, 2016)

Screening and Diagnosis

• For identification of Autism cases the INCLEN tools shall be used.

• The Indian Scale of Assessment of Autism (ISAA) has been developed which provides
the detailed assessment procedure and tools for assessing the extent of disability for
persons with autism beyond 6 years of age. Based on the identification of cases of
Autism in terms of INCLEN tools, certification of Autism on the basis of ISAA tools
shall be issued.

Validity of Certificate

The certificate will be valid for a period of 5 years for those whose disability is temporary
and are below the age of 18 years. For those who acquire permanent disability, the validity
can be shown as ‘Permanent’ in the certificate.
Medical Authority

Certification of disability for persons with autism is be carried out by a Autism Certification
Medical Board duly constituted by Central Government or the State Government comprising
of members from the following fields:

i. Clinical Psychologist/Rehabilitation Psychologist ii. A

Psychiatrist iii. A Pediatricianor General physician as the case
maybe

Indian Scale for Assessment of Autism (ISAA)

Description of the Tool:

ISAA is an objective assessment tool for persons with autism which uses observation,
clinical evaluation of behavior, testing by interaction with the subject and also information
supplemented by parents or caretakers in order to diagnose autism. ISAA consists of 40
items rated on a 5-point scale ranging from 1 (never) to 5 (always).

The 40 item of ISAA are divided under 6 domains as given below.

Domain 1- Social Relationship and Reciprocity

Domain 2- Emotional Responsiveness
Domain 3- Speech-Language and Communication
Domain 4- Behavior Patterns
Domain 5- Sensory Aspects
Domain 6- Cognitive Component

Scoring System:

ISAA should be scored as per the scoring system given below:

Each of the 40 test items is to be rated on 5 categories, out of which one is to checked. These
are further quantified by providing percentages to indicate the frequency, degree and
intensity of behavioral characteristics that are observed. The categories along with the
percentages assigned are as follows:

Rarely (up to 20%) – Score 1

Sometimes (21% - 40%) – Score 2
Frequently (41% - 60%) - Score 3
Mostly (61% - 80%) – Score 4
Always (81% - 100%) – Score 5
Norms of ISAA for Diagnosis Of Autism

ISAA Scores Degree of Autism <70 Normal

70 to 106 Mild Autism

107 to 153 Moderate Autism

>153 Severe Autism

Percentage of Disability as Per the Score

Score Percentage (%)

70 40 71-88 50 89-105 60 106-123 70 124-140 80 141-
158 90 Above 158 100
3. Mental Illness
Definition:

‘Mental Illness’ means a substantial disorder of thinking, mood perception, orientation or

memory that grossly impairs judgment, behavior, capacity to recognize the reality or ability
to meet the ordinary demands of life but does not include retardation which is a condition of
arrested or incomplete development of mind of a person specially characterized by sub-
normality of intelligence.

Diagnosis and Assessment

The examination process will consist of components as required namely, clinical

assessment, IDEAS scale and/or IQ assessment. The Gazette has approved the use of
Indian Disability Evaluation and Assessment Scale (IDEAS) for the assessment of
mental illness. In some cases where there is a suspicion of intellectual deficits or additional
intellectual evaluation is required for any reason standardized IQ test may be carried out.
Categories on IQ score will be:
i. Mild - 50-69 ii. Moderate
– 35-49 iii. Severe - 20-34
iv. Profound- under 20

In cases where the mental behavioral condition requires only IDEAS, then only IDEAS can
be administered and degree of disability can be certified. In cases where the mental
behavioral condition requires only IQ, then a standardized IQ test shall be used to certify
degree of disability.
In some cases only one test does may not estimate disability comprehensively. Such a
person may have borderline or normal score on one test with disability score on the other. In
such cases, both IQ and IDEAS shall be used, the score indicating more severe disability
should be the degree of disability for that person.

Validity of Certificate: The certificate will be valid for a period of 5 years for those whose
disability is temporary and are below the age of 18 years. The certificate issued at the age of
18 years will be valid life-long.
Medical Authority:

The Medical Superintendent orChief Medical Officer or Civil Surgeon or any other
equivalent authority as notified by the State Government shall be the head of the
certification authority with the following two other members:
i. Psychiatrist for clinical assessment ii. Trained
psychologists to administer IQ tests

Indian Disability Evaluation and Assessment Scale (IDEAS)

General Guidelines: IDEAS are suited best for the purpose of measuring and certifying
disability. It is therefore a brief and simple instrument, which can be used, even in busy
clinical settings. Some training is required in the use of IDEAS. Rating should be done only
based on interviews of the Primary Care Givers. Case records and patient’s interviews can
be used to supplement information. Only in rare instances when no primary care giver is
available should be the rating is based only on patient interview. This should then be
documented. The gender specification “he” has been used for convenience and refers to both
genders. Patients with the following diagnosis are eligible for disability benefits using this
scale: Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder, Dementia, and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

Duration of illness: The total duration of illness should be least two years. For the purpose
of scoring, the number of months the patients was symptomatic in the last two years (MI 2Y
–months of illness in the last two years) should be determined. Only the Psychiatrist can do
diagnosis and certification. Trained social workers, psychologist, or occupational therapists
can do administration of IDEAS. Psychiatric Disability will be reassessed every two years
and re-certified. The feasibility of doing this in the rural areas will however have to be
examined.

Items in IDEAS:

• Self-care: Includes taking care of body hygiene, grooming, and health including
 bathing, toileting, eating and taking care of one’s health.
• Interpersonal Activities (Social Relationship): Includes initiating and maintaining
interactions with others in a contextual and socially appropriate manner.
• Communication and Understanding: Includes communication and conversation with
others by producing and comprehending spoken/ written/ nonverbal messages.
• Work: Three areas are Employment/ House work/ Education measures any one aspect.
1. Performing in Work/ Job: Performing in work / employment (paid) employment / self-
employment family concern or otherwise. Measures ability to perform tasks at
employment completely and efficiently and in proper time. Includes seeking
employment. 2. Performing in Housework: Maintaining household including cooking,
caring for other people at home, taking care of belongings etc. Measures ability to take
responsibility for and perform household tasks completely and efficiently and in proper
time. 3. Performing in school / college: measures performance in education related
tasks.

Scoring: 0 – No Disability, 1 – Mild Disability, 2 – Moderate Disability, 3 – Severe

Disability, 4 – Profound Disability. Total Score (range 0-20).

Percentage: For the purpose of welfare benefits, 40% will be cut off point. The scores above
40% have been categorized as Moderate, Severe, and profound based on the Global disability
score. This grading will be used to measure change overtime. 0- No disability = 0%, 1-7 –
Mild Disability = < 40%, 8 and above = > 40%, (8-13 moderate disability; 14- 19 Severe
Disability; 20 Profound Disability)

4. Specific Learning Disability

Definition:

‘Specific Learning Disability’ means a heterogeneous group of conditions wherein there is a

deficit in processing language, spoken or written, that may manifest itself as a difficulty to
comprehend, speak, read, write , spell or to do mathematical calculations and includes such
conditions as perceptual disabilities dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, dyspraxia and
developmental aphasia.

Screening:

i. The teachers of the public and private school shall carry out the screening in Class III
or at eight years of age, whichever is earlier. If in the screening shows test three or more
 answers are in “frequently” column, then the child should be referred for further
assessment.
ii. Every school (public and private) shall have a screening committee headed by the
principal of the school. After applying the screening test, if an anomaly is detected then,
the teacher should bring it to the notice of principal and screening committee of the
school. The teachers shall interview the parents to assess their involvement and
motivation regarding their child’s education. If the parents are motivated and screening
questionnaire suggests SLD, then child should be referred for further assessment.

iii. The child shall be referred to pediatrician for SLD assessment by the principal of the
school with the recommendations of the screening committee endorsed.

Diagnosis:

The diagnosis will require a team approach involving a pediatrician and Clinical or
Rehabilitation Psychologist. This would involve 3 steps:

i. Step 1- Assessment by pediatrician: The pediatrician will do the initial assessment.

This will involve a detailed neurological examination including vision and hearing
assessment. It has to be ensured that the child has normal visual acuity and hearing
before proceeding to the next step. ii. Step 2- IQ Assessment- Child/Clinical
psychologist will do the IQ Assessment using MISIC or WISC-III. If the IQ > 85, then
step 3 will be applied. iii. Step 3- SLD Assessment- This would involve application of
specific psychometric tests for diagnosing SLD and giving it a severity scale.

Diagnostic Tool:

National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) battery shall be

applied for diagnostic test for [Link] Index for SLD is the most commonly used
battery in the Indian context. It includes the tests in two levels. Level I is for 5–7 years age
group and Level II for 8–12 years.

Medical Authority:

The Medical Superintendent or Chief Medical Officer or Civil Surgeon or any other
equivalent authority as notified by the State Government will head the certification
authority. The Medical Authority shall comprise of:
 i. The Medical Superintendent or Chief Medical Officer or Civil Surgeon or
any other equivalent authority as notified by the State Government. ii. Pediatrician or
Pediatric Neurologist iii. Clinical or Rehabilitation Psychologist iv. Occupational
therapist or Special Educator or Teacher trained for
assessment of SLD.

Validity of Certificate: The certification will be done for children aged 8 years and above
only. The child will have to undergo repeat certification at the age of 14 years and at the age
of 18 years. The certificate issued at the age of 18 years will be valid life-long.

DisabilityCertification

What Is A Disability Certificate?

A disability certificate (also known as PwD certificate or PH certificate or handicap

certificate) is a document that certifies the type and extent of holder’s disability. It is a basic
document that a person with any disability of more than 40 percent requires in order to avail
any facilities, benefits or concessions under the available government schemes. In India, this
certificate is usually issued by medical boards constituted in certain government hospitals.
Government of India and state governments provide a host of facilities to disabled people
but all these facilities are available only to those who hold a valid disability certificate.

What Is The Eligibility Criterion To Procure A Disability Certificate?

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

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

Contents of a Disability Certificate

A disability certificate typically mentions and certifies the following:

• Type of disability: Recently enacted Rights of Persons with Disability Act 2016 (RPwD
 2016) increased the number of types of disabilities from 7 to 21. A person affected by any of
those conditions can apply for the disability certificate:
• Extent of disability: The certificate mentions the extent of disability usually in percentage.
This figure is very important because various benefits from government are associated with
the degree of disability. People with lesser percentage of disability get lesser benefits.
• Permanence of disability: The certificate also mentions if the disability is permanent or
temporary in nature.
• Validity period: The Medical board mentions the period which the certificate is valid for.
If disability is temporary, the person will be re-examined after the validity period and a new
disability certificate will be issued, if required. If the disability is deemed to be permanent, a
certificate with life-long validity may be issued.

Who Is Authorized To Give The Certificate?

According to PWD Rules, 1996, the Committee recommended that certification of disability had
to be carried out by a Medical Board comprising of the following members:

i. The Medical Superintendent/Principal/Director/Head of the institution or his

nominee-Chairperson ii.
Psychiatrist-Member iii.
Physician-Member

At least two of the members, including Chairperson of the board must be present and sign the
disability certificate.

When Should A Disability Certificate Be Renewed?

The certificate is valid for a period of 5 years for those whose disability is ‘temporary’ and is
below the age of 18 years. For those who acquire permanent disability, the validity can be
shown as ‘permanent’ in the certificate. When there are no chances of variation in the degree
of disability, a permanent disability certificate is given.

What Are its Benefits?

Government of India has taken the responsibility of providing optimal environment to ensure full
participation of the person with disabilities. In this context, it has introduced/granted a number of
benefits, facilities, welfare programs and schemes that a disability certificate holder can avail.
The benefits vary from state to state and also according to the type and extent of disability. They
are as following:
 • Travel concessions for the disabled by rail and air
• Concession on Communication and Telecommunication
• Custom concessions
• Conveyance allowance
• Children’s educational allowance
• Income tax concessions
• Age relaxation/ Reservation of jobs and employment
• Financial assistance : loan for entrepreneurship

What is UDID?

UDID is a project initiated by Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities

that aims at building a holistic end-to-end integrated system for Issuance of Universal ID &
Disability Certificates for Person with disabilities with their identification and disability
details. This project is being implemented with a view of creating a National Database for
Persons with Disability (PwDs) and to issue a Unique Disability Identity Card to each
person with disabilities. The project will not only encourage transparency, efficiency and
ease of delivering the government benefits to the person with disabilities but also ensure
uniformity. The project will also help in streamlining the tracking of physical and financial
progress of beneficiary at all levels of hierarchy of implementation from Village level, Block
level, District level, State level and National level.

Objectives of UDID

The Objective of this project is to enable the PwDs to obtain the new UDID card / Disability
Certificate to avail schemes and benefits provided by the Government through its various
Ministries and their Departments. This card will be valid pan- India. The UDID portal shall
be designed to provide an online platform for the following:

• New application for UDID

• Renewal of existing Certificate/Card on expiration of validity
• In the event of loss of card/certificate In addition to the above, the UDID Portal
shall also provide information on the various schemes/benefits, procedures to apply for
Disability Certificate/UDID Card, Success Stories, Suggestions/Feedback, Manuals etc.

Procedure to Apply For A Disability Certificate/UDID (Online)

Step 1: Visit UDID Web Portal- [Link] and click on the register
link to Register. Step 2: Using PwD logs credentials click on Apply online for Disability
Certificate. Four types of details are required:
• Personal Details
• Disability Details
• Employment Details
• Identity Details Step 3: After entering details upload a color passport photo and other
requisite documents. (Identity Proof, Income Proof, SC/ST/OBC proof etc as per requirement)
Step 4: Submit all the data to the CMO Office/Medical Authority for verification. Step 5: The
CMO Office/Medical Authority will verify all your data. Step 6: After verification, the CMO
Office/Medical Authority will assign the concerned specialist(s) for assessment Step 7:
Specialist Doctor assesses disability of PwD and gives an opinion on disability. Step 8: Medical
Board reviews the case and assigns disability percentage. CMO Office prepares Disability
Certificate and generates UDID and Disability Certificate. Step 9: UDID datasheet goes for
UDID Card printing and the UDID card will be delivered by post at the address mentioned
during online registration.

Procedure to Apply For a Disability Certificate/UDID (Offline)

To apply offline the applicant should follow this simple procedure. Step 1: Visit the official
UDID website - [Link] and download the UDID registration form
Step 2: Take a print out of the form and fill in the form with all the right details Step 3: Attach
all the required documents with the form:

▪ Your address proof

▪ Identity proof
▪ Aadhaar card
▪ Disability certificate (if you already have one)
▪ Passport size photograph
▪ Special category certificate (if you are OBC, SC or ST)
Step 4: Submit the completed application form with the documents to the nearest Medical
Authority or CMO office Step 5 to Step 9 – Same as online process

What is the color code system in UDID cards?

The UDID cards have a colored bar on one end to indicate the degree of disability.

• A red bar indicates a disability of 80% and above,

 • Blue bar indicates a disability between 40% to 80% and
• Yellow bar indicates for a disability below 40%. The cards will also have a
hologram to prevent any attempts of duplication.

What are the benefits of UDID?

The UDID card shall bring a host of benefits to the Persons with Disabilities as given below:

• Persons with disabilities will not need to make multiple copies of documents, maintain,
and carry multiple documents as the card will capture all the necessary details which can
be decoded with the help of a reader

• The UDID card will be the single document of identification, verification of the
disabled for availing various benefits in future

• The UDID Card will also help in stream-lining the tracking of the physical and
financial progress of beneficiary at all levels of hierarchy of implementation - from
village level, block level, District level, State level and National level

CONCLUSION

Throughout centuries, the disabled have been oppressed, marginalized and stigmatized
and therefore have been an oppressed group in almost all societies. They constitute a section of
the population, which is most backward, least served and grossly neglected. People with
disability are the poorest of the poor and weakest of the weak that have been socially,
educationally and economically disadvantaged; thus having customarily denied their right to
self-assertion, identity and development. Over centuries,
societies have attempted to explain the place of people with disabilities in the social order.
People with disabilities have been largely provided through solutions that segregate them, such
as residential institutions and special schools. However, responses to disability have changed
since the 1970s, prompted largely by the self-organization of people with disabilities, and by the
growing tendency to see disability as a human rights issue. Policy has now shifted towards
community and educational inclusion, and medically focused solutions have given way to more
interactive approaches recognizing that people are disabled by environmental factors as well as
by their bodies. .
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