Only 28.8% of Indians with disabilities who have disability certificates, according to the survey. Disability pension and allowance premised on certification excludes the majority of people with disabilities, said Chennai-based lawyer Amba Salelkar, who works in the areas of disability law and policy. The certification process is complicated and relies heavily on a medical diagnosis model. "Research tells us that only one of every four persons with disabilities get certified, for a range of reasons, including the difficulty and inaccessibility of the process," said Salelkar. For persons with psychosocial disabilities, disability certification and ID cards are "temporary", since the prevalent understanding is that mental illness can be cured, Salelkar said. Therefore, people have to keep visiting the hospital to renew the validity.
Riddhi Dastidar, 'Insufficient, inconsistent: Mental health pension rarely reach the affected', Business Standard
