NEW DELHI: The Delhi government on Wednesday launched the Suagamaya Sahayak Scheme, signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with ALIMCO, a public sector undertaking (PSU), for five years. The scheme was notified recently.
Under the Sugamaya Sahayak Scheme, eligible people with Benchmark Disabilities will receive a range of assistive devices such as artificial limbs, tricycle, motorized tricycle, wheelchair, BTE (behind the ear) hearing aids, crutch, Braille cane, MSIED kit, Braille kit, smartphone for visually handicapped, smart cane, and ADL (assistance to daily living) kit for leprosy patients, and other available devices.
According to Section 2(r) of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, a “person with benchmark disability” means a person with at least 40% of a specified disability, certified by competent authority.
The Sugamaya Sahayak Scheme reflects the city government’s commitment to inclusivity and accessibility, striving to create a more equitable society for all citizens, a statement from the government said.
ALIMCO will serve as the supplying agency responsible for conducting assessment of persons with Benchmark Disabilities and providing customized assistive devices to them, he added.
To be eligible for benefit under this scheme, applicants must meet a set of criteria. The applicant must be a person with Benchmark Disability as per Disability Certificate; must be resident of Delhi with family annual income less than Rs 8 lakh, the statement said, encouraged Persons with Benchmark Disabilities to apply for the benefits at the Department of Social Welfare.
Use ‘differently abled’ instead of PwD: HC
Persons suffering from disabilities are “no different from you or me” and the more appropriate term to use for them would be “differently abled” and not “disabled”, the Delhi High Court has said. Right of Persons with Disabilities Act and all other laws seek to neutralise disability so that a differently abled person and his peers have equal footing, in keeping with ‘equal opportunity’ advocated in the Constitution. “The more appropriate term would be differently abled,” the court said.