Office of the Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities

1. Test reports/ impairment certificate issued by the National Institutes (NIOH, NIHH, NIVH & NIMH ) in respect of locomotors disability, eudiometry test (hearing impaired, Refractutory /Visionary test and I.Q test report would be accepted by the medical boards for issuance of disability certificate.
2. In addition to above IQ test report issued by the following institutes are also accepted by the Medical boards for issuance of disability certicate-
   Clinical Psychologist office of the commissioner (Disabilities), west Bengal, institute of psychiatry, Pavlov hospital, Department of Applied Psychology/ Psychology University of Calcutta.
3. Any of the following documents can be produced by the person with disability before the Medical board for his identity which should be accepted by the board – Ration card, passport, Driving License, office Identity card, Pan cards EPIC, Admit card issued by council/boards, Putta, Registered Deed, Student Identity cards, bank passbook and Identity card issued by labour Department or Bidi Sramik. A minor who does not have ration card can be indentity by one of his parents who have any documents mentioned above for his /her identification.
   In case of Mentally ILL person disability certificate would be issued by the Mental Board stated above after observation and treatment for one year.

Since disability Certificate issued by the Competent Medical Boards constituted under the PWD Act, 95 is a pre-requisite for availing of benefits, concessions and relaxations. Persons with disabilities are entitled to prefer an appeal to the Appellate Medical Board at 45, Ganesh Chandra Avenue Kol-13, for redressal of their grievances the Act oe any dispute regarding percentage of disability as certified by competent Medical Boards.

1. 3% seats are reserved for children with disabilities for admission in all Educational Institutes.
2. Students with disability reading up to class VIII receive scholarships from Social Welfare Directorate at Kolkata and District Social Welfare officers in districts. ( For Form See form Section )
3. Students from clsa IX and above receive scholarships from mass Education Extension Deptt. (For From See form Section)
4. 3% quota for admission to Medical Courses for persons with Locomotor Disability of Lower Limbs is filled up from the candidates having disability between 50% to 70% the unfilled seats are filled up by the candidates having Locomotor Disability of Lower limbs to the extent of 40% to 50%. (Oder No. MCL 34(1)(Gen,)/2009-Med./2569 dated 21.04.2009).
5. Visual Handicap, physically handicapped and dyslexic student are allowed scribe during examination.
6. students with disability in upper limb and students with visual handicap are allowed 20 minutes & 30 minutes extra time in case of papers with 2 hours & 3 hours duration respectively in UPSE Examination.
7. Children with disabilities are provided with special and integrated school facilities. Student with disabilities are provided with book grant, uniform and other assistance under IEDC scheme of Sarba Siksha Abhijan.
8. Minstry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Government of India provide National Scholarship for persons with disabilities for persuing post matric/post secondary, technical and professional course including Ph. D and Phil from recongnized organization (for details Visit www.socialjustice.nic.in) (For Form See form Section)

1. Person with physical disabilities outside Kolkata may register their names in Regional Employment Exchange / District Employment Exchange. Mobile registration facilities are being provided by Directorate of Employment to accommodate Adult Disabilities of KMC area may register their names in special employment exchange for handicapped 6 B.T Road, Kolkata – 700002.
2. Vacancies not less than 3% are reserved for the persons with disabilities – 1% each for persons suffering from (a) Low vision/ blindness (b) hearing impairment (c) locomotor disability/cerebral Palsy.
3. 12th, 42nd & 72nd posts in model 100 roster of the labour department, Government of West Bengal have been kept reserved by state Govt. for facilitating employment to persons with Disabilities.
4. Physically handicapped persons are entitled to age concession upto 45 years at the time of entry into the Govt. services.
5. Physically handicapped persons applied for Group ‘c’ & ‘b’ (non-gazetted) posts of Govt. of India advertised by SSC & UPSC are entitled for exemption from the payment of examination and application fees.
6. West Bengal Public Service Commission exempted examination fees for the disabled candidates and allowed scribe for visually disabled candidates.
7. State Govt. Employment with Locomotor/visual disabilities are entitled to conveyance allowance to the rune of 5% of the basic pay subject to a maximum Rs. 400/-p.m.
8. No establishment shall dispense with or reduce in rank, an employee who acquires a disability during his service. If found unsuitable for the existing post he may be shifted to some other post with same pay scale and service benefits. In case no such post is available he may be kept on supernumerary post until a suitable post is available or he attains the age of superannuation.
9. No promotion shall be denied on the ground of his disability.

1. Physically handicapped persons in Govt. employment (Group C & D) are entitled to get preference in the matter of their posting near their native places, subject to administrative constraints.
2. A Govt. employee with a mentally retarded child is sympathetically considered for his posting at a place of his /her choice.

This provision holds for both State & central Govt. institutions.

1. disabled persons are entitled to support for self-employment under Swarna jayanti Gram Swarozgar yojana(SGSY) through formation of self-help groups. In the case of disabled persons a self-help group may consist of a minimum of 5 persons belonging to the families below poverty line. 3% quota is earmarked for the disabled persons under SGSY.
2. Disabled persons are entitled to financial assistance by the National handicapped finance & development Corporation (NHFDC) at a concessional rate of interest as details here under.

   Project Cost	NHFDC Share	Beneficiaries' Share	Rate of Interest
   Less Then Rs.50,000/-	100%	Nil	5% p.a
   Above Rs.50,000/- & less then Rs. 5 lakh	95%	5%	6% p.a
   Above Rs.5 lakh	90%	10%	8% p.a

3. 3% of funds for construction and up gradation of dwelling house free of cost for the disabled rural poor living below line are kept reserved under INDIRA AWAS YOJANA(IAY).
4. Children with disability of State and Central Govt. Employees who are not capable of earning their livelihood independently are entitled to benefit of family Pension for life.
5. Persons with Disability who are unable to earn livelihood and below poverty line are entitled to Disability Pension@ Rs. 750/- pm. With effect 1.4.2009 (For From See form section).
6. Disability pension to the persons with severe Disability/multiple Disability (80% or more Disability) of age between 18 to 64 years and from families which are below the poverty line, is provided@ RS. 400/- per month under Indira Gandhi National Disability pension Scheme (IGNDPS), Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India, Implemented through Government of West Bengal department of Panchayat & Rural Development. The coverage is universal and there shall not be any quota at any level.
7. Economic assistanance upto Rs. 10,000/- is given to adult person with disabilities belonging to families in the low income bracket for pursuing a vocation/trade that will help him/her in economic rehabilitation of the physically handicapped (adult) person, 1981 by the department of WCD & SW, (commissioner, Disabilities, West Bengal office for KMC area and district Social Welfare office for districts.)

Person with Disabilities are entitled to a barrier-free Environment –

L & LR department has issued orders to provide preferential allotment of land to the persons with disabilities and organisations working with persons with disabilities.

1. Persons with disabilities are eligible for assistive devices under ADIP (Govt. of India) Scheme. Only those aids and appliances which do not cost than Rs. 50/- or more than Rs. 6000/- are covered under the scheme. However, for visually, mentally, speech and hearing or multiple disabled, the upper limit would be Rs. 8000/- during their study upto class XIIth standard.
2. Person with disabilities are also provided with different prosthetic aids free of cost by the State Govt. under prosthetic aids Scheme
   (Commissioner Disabilities office for KMC area and District Social Welfare Office for Districts).

1. By Surface Transport

   Persons with Disabilities are allowed free travel facilities in Buses run by State Transport Corporations (Except Deluxe / Rocket and Inter – State) and Buses and trams run by Kolkata Tramways Company.

2. By rail

   Railways concessions are available for PWDs as per the following table (except Rajdhani and satabdi).

   Eligible category	First class	Second class	Sleeper class	AC Chair CAR & AC 3Tier	AC 2 Tier & AC First Class
   100% disability or persons with disabilities who cannot travel without escort.	75	75	75	75*	50*
   100% Hearing Impaired * For Blind & Mentally Retarded persons.	50	50	50	X	X

   Concession for Blind orthopedically handicapped and mentally retarded person are also available. (For Form Section Form)

3. By air
   1. 50% concessional fare can be availed of by Blind person on a single one way journey or single fare for round trip journey on all domestic flights by the Indian Airlines. No concession for escort is available.
   2. 50% concessional fare can also be availed of by a person with 80% locomotor disability. No concession for escort is available.

1. A resident individual having permanent physical disability is entitled to claim a deduction up to Rs. 50,000/- under the Income Tax Act. For severe disabled persons reliefs is Rs. 75,000/-
2. The Act provides for deduction of a sum of Rs. 50,000/- for maintenance of handicapped dependent including medical treatment. For severe disabled persons relief is of Rs. 75,000/-

PWDs (Visually handicapped, hearing handicapped & orthopedically handicapped) are entitled to exemption on professional Tax.

Persons with Disabilities may move the Commissioner for persons with Disabilities at 45, Ganesh Chandra Avenue, Kolkata-700013 for redressal of grievances relating to the right provided by Persons with Disabilities ( Equal Opportunities, protection of right and full Participation) Act, 1995 and National Trust Act, 1999.

District with Disabilities who Magistrates who have been designated as the additional Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities may also be approached in case of any discrimination against PWDs and infringement of the Right provided under the Acts.

In terms of provision Laid down in the National Trust for Welfare person with Autism Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities Act, 1999 and rules there after legal Guardians are provided to persons with such disabilities requiring guardians by the local level committee, parents, and relatives of such persons may apply or contact office of the commissioner (Disabilities), West Bengal for Kolkata district and for other districts district Social Welfare Officer of the concerned district may be approachheds.