Persons with disabilities (PWDs) face difficulties getting a disability certificate that makes them eligible to register for a special national identity card (NIC). The card allows them to avail public social security funds and other specified services.
A PWD has to go through multiple phases of scrutiny and verification to acquire a certificate. The steps include obtaining a form from the Department of Social Welfare. The completed form is submitted to the district headquarter hospital (DHQ) for further verification. After initial scrutiny, a medical board inquires about the details from the PWD for a physical medical checkup. It ensures the person needs a disability certificate. After the verification, the PWD collects the disability certificate.
“It is difficult and challenging for us to visit various departments for verification and make multiple visits to the office to submit and then receive the certificate,” said a PWD.
To make the process more adaptive and easy for PWDs, the Coalition for Inclusive Pakistan (CIP), a rights-based network facilitated by Trust for Democratic Education and Accountability (TDEA) under Promoting the Human Rights and Electoral Participation of People with Disabilities, Transgender People, and Women in Pakistan project, advocated with the deputy commissioner office and social welfare office, Bannu. The purpose was to develop a one-window operation for the PWDs to avoid having multiple visits to acquire a certificate.
As a result, the deputy commissioner office, social welfare, and CIP jointly worked on an online application for PWDs’ facilitation to acquire disability certificates. They had the public departments such as NADRA, BISP, Ehsaas program, and Pakistan Bait-ul-Maal on board to develop a comprehensive product.
The online process now allows the PWDs to submit the application and relevant documents from their homes and visit the social welfare office only when receiving the certificate. This hassle-free process was a huge success. So far, 692 PWDs have submitted application forms to acquire disability certificates.
““We are happy to know that this online application process will have a one-window operation. We have to visit the office only to receive the certificate,” said a delighted PWD.
Moreover, CIP in Bannu held three facilitation camps where it facilitated more than 60 PWDs in different categories to submit online applications for obtaining the disability certificates.
