A disability certificate or a PwD certificate holds significant importance for persons with special abilities. It allows specially abled individuals to avail the benefits, facilities and concessions offered under different government schemes.
The certificated is issued by the medical authorities to validates the type and extent of the disability a person has. Furthermore, the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Government of India has introduced the provision of a Unique Disability ID (UDID) card for disabled people. The article consist all the information regarding benefits, documents required, validity, and application process for disability certificate.
Disability Certificate – Who Issues a Disability Certificate?
The medical boards of respective states and districts issue a disability certificate. The board generally comprises a Chief Medical Officer or a Sub-Divisional Medical Officer in the district and another expert in the specified field such as ENT Surgeon, Ophthalmic Surgeon, Orthopaedic Surgeon, Audiologist, Psychiatrist, Clinical Psychologist, etc. Once the PwD candidates obtain their certificate from the medical authorities, they can further obtain their unique ID cards that are being offered by the Government of India.
Disability Certificate – Benefits
A disability certificate allows persons with disabilities to avail of a number of benefits depending upon their disability type and extent. Both central and state governments have introduced a number of schemes for PwD candidates that can be accessible only if the candidate has a disability certificate. Given below is the list of benefits that a PwD certificate offers –
- Scholarship schemes that are available for students with disabilities
- Reduction in income tax
- Discount on railway fare
- Reservation in government jobs
- Loan facilities for starting a new business
- Free travel facility in state transportation
- Access to assistive devices and prosthetic aids at subsidized rates
- Unemployment allowance (applicable for educated disabled persons)
- Group insurance (applicable for government employees with disabilities)
- Subsidy to buy adapted vehicles and many others
Who Can Apply for a Disability Certificate?
Individuals having 40% or more disability can apply for a disability certificate, provided their disability falls under the categories specified under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016. As per this act, a PwD (Person with Disability) is an individual with one or more of the disabilities mentioned in the categories below –
1. Physical Disabilities –
- Visual Impairment – Blindness, Low-vision
- Locomotor Disability – Leprosy cured person, Cerebral palsy, Dwarfism, Muscular dystrophy, Acid attack victims
- Hearing Impairment – Deaf, Hard of hearing
- Speech and Language Disability
2. Intellectual Disabilities –
- Specific learning disabilities
- Autism spectrum disorder
3. Mental Behavior –
- Mental Illness
4. Disability Caused due to –
- Chronic neurological conditions – Parkinson’s disease, Multiple sclerosis
- Blood disorder – Haemophilia, Sickle cell disease, Thalassemia
5. Multiple disabilities – More than one of the disabilities specified above
6. Any other category – As notified by the central government
Disability Certificate – What is UDID Card?
The Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Government of India has introduced the initiative of UDID (Unique Disability ID) under its UDID project that aims to create a holistic system for the issuance of disability certificates and universal ID for PwD candidates. A UDID card carries the identification and disability details of the PwD candidates. Furthermore, it comes with a number of benefits that include –
- You do not need to make, maintain or carry multiple documents with you as the card will capture all the necessary details
- The card will act as a single document for the identification and verification of the disabled candidates
Disability Certificate – Documents Required
While applying for a disability certificate online through the UDID portal, individuals need to upload scanned copies of certain documents in support of their application. These documents include –
- Recent coloured photograph of the applicant
- Signature/thumbprint of the applicant (optional)
- Address proof (Driving License, Aadhaar Card, Ration Card, Domicile Certificate, Voter ID, etc.)
- Identity proof (Aadhaar Card, Driving License, PAN Card, Ration Card, Voter ID, etc.)
- Income proof
- Caste certificate (applicable for SC/ST/OBC candidates only)
- Disability certificate (applicable for those individuals who already have already been issued a disability certificate by a competent authority)
How to Apply for a Disability Certificate?
With the centralized system of UDID, the application for a disability certificate and ID card can be made online. Whether the requirement is for a fresh disability certificate or renewing the existing one, individuals can get it done by follow the below steps –
Step 1: Visit the official website of UDID card.
Step 2: Click on the ‘Register’ button to create an account on the UDID web portal.
Step 3: Fill in the personal details, disability details, employment details (if applicable), and identity details.
Step 4: Upload the required documents and submit.
Step 5: Once registered, you will get the login credentials (enrolment number/UDID number) on your registered mobile number and email id.
Step 6: Login using the enrolment number/UDID number and date of birth and click on ‘Apply online for Disability Certificate’.
Step 7: Upload the required documents and submit the data to the CMO Office/medical authority.
Step 8: The CMO office/medical authority verifies the data and assigns the concerned specialist(s) for assessment.
Step 9: The specialist doctor will assess the disability of the candidates and give his/her opinion.
Step 10: The case is then reviewed by the medical board and a disability percentage is assigned.
Step 11: The disability certificate and UDID is generated by the CMO Office after which the UDID card will be dispatched to the disabled persons.
Disability Certificate – Validity
The validity of a disability certificate varies based on the type of disability. The medical authority which issues the PwD certificate clearly mentions the period for which the certificate will remain valid. A disability certificate remains valid for lifelong in case of a permanent disability. However, for temporary disabilities, the certificate/ID card remains valid for a period of five years. It has to be renewed once in five years subject to the medical examination of the disabled person.
Disability Certificate – Contact Details
In case you have any query related to the disability certificate application or its validity, individuals can send your queries to –
Shri D.K.Panda
(Under Secretary)
FAQs
Q1. What is a UDID card?
The “Unique ID for Persons with Disabilities” allows disabled people to avail the benefits, facilities and concessions offered under different government schemes.