Dimapur, June 15, 2022: Most children in Nagaland with intellectual disabilities do not have valid certificate to avail government benefits, says an officer of the National Institute for the Empowerment of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities.
Doctor Ravi Prakash Singh, officer-in-charge of the institute’s regional center in Navi Mumbai, was in Dimapur, the commercial capital of the eastern Indian state. He told Eastern Mirror, a local news portal, June 15 that identifying children with intellectual disability has become a major challenge in the state, coupled with the lack of awareness on the benefits available for children with disability.
Singh was at the District Disability Rehabilitation Centre District Hospital in Dimapur during a Teaching Learning Material distribution camp organized by the national institute, Prodigal’s Home and Dimapur center. As many as 57 children were given the teaching material kits worth 10,000 rupees each.
Most beneficiaries are within Kohima and Dimapur districts alone. With regard to other districts, Singh said his institute’s next focus is interior districts of Nagaland.
“But before the distribution of the kit, we will have to do a psychological assessment camp for the children so that they can get their disability certificate. If they have the certificate, they will be eligible for all the benefits and concessions by the government,” he said.
Replying to a query about the challenges in identification of beneficiaries, he said Nagaland has children with intellectual disabilities but their guardians are not aware of their condition, while public awareness is “very less” in the state.
He also pointed out that even if a person is aware, they are not well informed and don’t know where to avail the disability certificate, which is essential to get benefits from the government.
To resolve this, Singh said that his center is conducting awareness programs for teachers and college students as well as conducting psychological assessment camps through which they can provide the IQ report. “On the basis of this report, they will be able to get disability certificates from the medical board from the respective district hospitals,” he added.
Anoop Khinchi, director for Census Operations/Citizen Registration Nagaland, Ministry of Home Affairs, was the chief guest of the event. He asserted that sensitization of the community was important for an inclusive environment and acceptance of the differently abled in society.
“Every child has the right to be admitted in a normal school with an inclusive environment and equal participation opportunity for the children. Everyone should be aware of the Act available against discrimination and remove the barrier from the society with total acceptance,” Khinchi said.
Source: https://easternmirrornagaland.com/identifying-children-with-intellectual-disability-a-major-challenge-in-nagaland-says-dr-ravi-prakash/