Scheme of Issuing Disability Certificate – cum- Identity Cards to the Disabled Persons -  (One Time Additional Central Assistance (ACA))

As per the Census Report 2001 there are 8,60,794 disabled persons in Kerala. As per the Persons with Disability Act, it is mandatory to provide disability certificates to all disabled. The certificates are needed for granting pension and for availing other benefits from local bodies.

Out of the total disabled persons in Kerala around 1.5 lakhs where given disability certificate cum-identity cards and the remaining 7 lakhs need to be provided with disability certificate-cum-identity cards on a war footing. The disability certificates are issued by a competent medical board headed by the DMO. At present there is only one Medical Board at the district level which is insufficient to meet the requirements. The Medical Board consists of experts in the field of ENT, Orthopedics, Ophthalmology and Psychology/Neurology. In order to support the Medical Board, Audiologist is also required. Only Government Hospital experts are authorized by the Government to be the members of Medical Board but sufficient members are notavailable. Sufficient numbers of technicians are not available in government hospitals. Sufficient funds are not available for transportation of disabled and for meeting the expenses of the camps.

The objective of the scheme is that all the disabled in Kerala shall be provided laminated disability certificate-cum-identity cards in the next two years. 

As per G.O. (P) No. 71/2003/SWD dated 6/12/2003, Government have declared to issue identity cards to physically handicapped persons as an authentic document for all purpose. kerala State Social Security Mission is be the nodal agency for issuing this identity cards with the co-ordination of local bodies. Kerala State Social Security Mission have conducted Medical Camps and all the eligibel disabled persons who attend this camp will be given laminated photo identity cards. For this an amount of Rs. 300.00/- lakhs was utilized for 2009-10.