Demands for disability certificates rise as admission nears
Doctors at various hospitals have claimed that a large number of parents are demanding disability certificates for their children to get admission in schools. They added that in several cases, there is no disability. According to one doctor, parents even say that their child doesn't want to study Science, and request for an appropriate certificate. 
With school and college admissions being the flavour of season, doctors of city's top government hospitals are battling a rush of people with requests for issuance of disability certificates.Demands for disability certificates by parents and students come shortly after the Union government revised the disability act and made it mandatory for government hospitals to issue a differently -abled certificate. Previous disability certificates issued by private doctors are invalid now.A large number of parents are approaching RML doctors. The psychiatry department at the central government hospital is flooded with demands for disability certificates for students.MISUSEIn several case, experts diagnosed students with disability certificates with no disability. "It is strange to find that even though the child is ineligible to get a disability certificate, top private practitioners' at leading hospitals have issued the same to him. It is a complete misuse," said a senior psychiatrist at RML requesting anonymity.Dr Smita Desphande, who heads the department of Psychiatry at RML Hospital told Mail Today, "Our department has been getting at least 10 cases each day, wherein parents ask for disability certificate for their child to get admission done under the disability quota. Parents thus want their children to be categorised under any sort of disability- be it autism, intellectual disability or speech disorder."Parents mostly come with their kids complaining Specific Learning Disability (SLD). If doctors approve, the child gets an extra hour for writing and preparing for CBSE, entrance and university exams. Mostly, requests come for students of private schools and colleges.ANYTHING FOR MARKS"Parents know disability certificates would fetch their kids marks, even if the spelling is wrong, and would allot them extra time during exams. Often they come to us saying, 'My child does not want to take up Science, so make the certificate according to requirements," said a doctor."We have a specific tool to calculate the percentage of disability in a child. And when the assessment tool fails to identify any disability, parents force us to still issue a certificate. We were surprised to see that two leading private hospitals in Delhi have made forged disability certificates - which is unethical," said a senior psychiatrist at RML. Teachers, according to experts and doctors, are unaware of disability norms.RML doctors said parents are misguided by school teachers often."There is very poor awareness in teachers. We get the reference from school teachers who ask us to get the certificate done for so and so and our department has been receiving an increasing number of referral case. There is a need for special educators in schools."If a child is found to be not falling under the disabled category completely and is rather differently abled, with 5-10 per cent of disabilty, we provide that particular certificate and also often try to help them improve by intervention or speech therapy. We try to provide them whatever, treatment is required," said Dr Desphande.Last month, Mail Today had reported that that the Centre is bringing in 14 new categories of physical and mental conditions, under the ambit of the Disability Act, 2006. At present, the act provides the disability rights and benefits to seven special categories of people comprising blindness, low-vision, locomotive disability, hearing impairment, mental retardation, mental illness and leprosy.The new conditions will apply to people with cerebral palsy, dwarfism, muscular dystrophy, specific learning disabilities, deafness, autism, spectrum disorder, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, haemophilia, thalassemia, sickle cell disease, multiple disabilities (condition of any two disabilities or more) and acidattack survivors.Ministry officials said the previous Right of Persons with Disabilities Act 1995, mentions only seven categories including people having 40 per cent and above disability, providing them all benefits.In 2001, disability assessment guidelines were prepared for these categories, but there was no measure to calculate the percentage of disability in a person. "The ministry therefore formed a committee to review how to assess and measure the exiting as well as the proposed disability percentage in a person and accordingly entitlements would be given to the person," an official said. Also Read