Kathmandu, November 23

The government has developed the model ‘Procedure for Distribution of Identification Card to Persons With Disabilities’.

This procedure aims to identify Nepali citizens with various categories of disability and establish their access to facilities, help maintain records of disabled at the local levels, provide them facilities as committed by the government in the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and prioritise the services, facilities and opportunities to be enjoyed by the disabled on the basis of their disabilities.

The government will distribute four different categories of identity cards to the disabled persons. A person with complete disability (‘A’ category), severe disability (‘’B’’ category), moderate disability (‘C’ category) and general disability (‘D’ category) will obtain red, blue, yellow and white cards respectively.

According to the procedure, complete disability includes a condition where there is difficulty in carrying out daily activities even with continuous assistance and support of others while severe disability is the condition of having to continuously take other people’s assistance to carry out individual daily activities and take part in social activities.

Moderate disability is the condition of being able to perform daily activities by oneself with or without taking others’ assistance or support if physical facilities are available.

General disability is a situation where taking part in regular daily activities by oneself is possible if there is no social and environmental obstacle.

The one-page identity card shall be distributed to a disabled person with details written in Nepali and English languages on either side in the format of citizenship certificate.

There shall be a nine-member coordination committee led by deputy chairperson or deputy chief of rural municipality/municipality for the purpose of distribution of identity cards to the disabled persons in its concerned area.

Person with disability may, with or without the help of his/her parent or guardian, submit an application with personal details and a copy of photo  the concerned ward office of the local level for identity card.

The applications received by the ward office shall be forwarded to the concerned local level for issuance of the identity card.

“If the coordination committee deems it reasonable to distribute identity card to the applicants, it shall recommend that the local level provide it to them,” the procedure states. The identity card carries no charge or fee.

A person facing physical and mental complexities to reach his/her concerned local level may obtain the identity card from the local level where he/she resides.

The procedure also requires the local levels to operate mobile camp in areas under their jurisdiction at least once a year to provide identity cards to disabled persons in a simple and easy manner.

Any person, who has obtained identity card prior to commencement of this procedure, shall surrender the same to the concerned rural municipality/municipality and obtain new one within one year from the date of issue of this procedure.