Parents of Avantika Sachdeva and Malini Anchan have been running from pillar to post to get the disability certificate for their children who suffer from various learning handicaps, to get admission in college. Learning that the hospitals are not equipped to allot the disability certificate to their children under current rules, they decided to approach Delhi Commission for Persons with disabilities.

In a relief to several such parents and people with disabilities especially students, the Delhi Commission for Persons with disabilities has ruled that the health and the family department of the Delhi government need not depend on the notification of Delhi Rights of Persons with Disability Rules but in fact can go ahead and designate hospitals as well as the disabilities they are supposed to certify.

The order was ruled after several parents of children with disabilities approached the commission ahead and during the admission process in colleges. The Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities had added 14 new disabilities in the Right of Persons with Disability Act, 2016 that would enable people under these categories to apply for the jobs and colleges.

Earlier there were only seven disabilities listed and 26 hospitals were designated to provide certification to people under these categories.

According to the rules, to get the disability certificate, the candidates need to visit the hospital designated to certify their respective disabilities in given jurisdiction. But due to non notification of Delhi Rights of Persons with Disability Rules, several parents have come to us complaining of the inconvenience.

However, as per the Right of Persons with Disability Act, 2016 the certifying authorities need not depend on the State government's notification, said TD Dhariyal, Delhi Persons with Disability Commission. As of now we are asking the colleges and schools to give more time to parents as well the efforts are being made to appoint the medical authority as per the requirement.

We are also following up with the hospitals seeking a report on the pending cases of disability certification and learning their limitations which could be later taken up with the government, Dhariyal added