DINDIGUL: Special camps will be held in Dindigul district to provide disability certificates (UDID cards) to an estimated 2,000 people with disabilities who have yet to receive them. Officials from the Differently Abled Welfare Department will conduct special camps over the next two weeks.
Dindigul district records indicate over 35,000 disabled people in the district, including those with blindness, hearing impairment, locomotor disability, dwarfism, and intellectual disability, according to a survey carried out by the Right Project.
"The Right Project, initiated in early September 2023 and completed in December 2023, identified more than 21 categories of disability," a social worker said. The project aimed to collect basic information, such as Aadhaar and Voter ID details, and assess whether disabled people received appropriate benefits.
The project also sought to ensure that future benefits and schemes reach those eligible. However, volunteers and staff found it challenging to reach all beneficiaries. The Tamil Nadu government, with support from the World Bank, undertook the project to strengthen social protection systems and promote inclusion, accessibility, and opportunities for people with disabilities.
"The survey identified around 35,000 people, but only 33,000 have received UDID cards," District Differently Abled Welfare Officer N Saminathan told TNIE. "Due to this, we've organised special camps for those who haven't yet received their cards."
The camps have been organised from 8 to 28 November 2024. Doctors from Dindigul Medical College Hospital will be present at the camps, held in all panchayat unions in the district, to certify and verify the extent of disability. After approval, candidates will be enrolled in the portal and receive their cards the same day. Applicants must bring four passport-size photographs, their Aadhaar card, and a copy of their ration card.