UDID Certification Rise, Yet Disability Inclusion Faces Challenges

Intellectual disability (ID) remains one of the most overlooked areas of public health in India, where many individuals with disabilities are still confined to their homes due to social stigma, lack of resources, and limited opportunities for education and employment.

- By Archana Jyoti

Ravi, a 19-year-old from a village on the outskirts of Delhi, struggles with severe intellectual disability (ID). Despite his potential to learn simple skills, social stigma and a lack of accessible resources have confined him to his home for most of his life. His mother, Rekha, recalls the difficulty in accessing healthcare and government benefits until recently when Ravi was issued a Unique Disability Identity (UDID) card.

Introduced by the Government under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016, UDID aims to facilitate access to various government schemes and entitlements, ensuring equitable access to welfare.

Earlier, Ravi's condition wasn't officially recognized, but the UDID card has brought some support, even though finding a job is still hard," she says hopefully.

Ravi's story is not unique. A two-year hospital-based study conducted at a central government hospital in the national capital paints a stark picture of progress tempered by significant gaps in inclusion, employment, and social integration for people with ID.

A neurodevelopmental condition, ID is marked by significant limitations in reasoning, learning, and everyday skills. It usually begins before age 22, and individuals often require lifelong support to manage daily life.

The study, which assessed 960 applicants between August 2020 and August 2022, highlights both the growing awareness of the UDID scheme and persistent systemic challenges in the lives of persons with ID.

Conducted by researchers from the Department of Psychiatry, ABVIMS & Dr. RML Hospital, New Delhi, and the Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), the study found that the mean age of applicants was 17.5 years, with a majority diagnosed with mild (37.2%) or moderate (36.04%) ID.