The Tamil Nadu Association for the Rights of All Types of Differently-abled and Caregivers (TARATDAC) has appealed to the State government to make the disability certificate accepted across districts in the State.

In a release, the association said that the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, states that a disability certificate issued in accordance with the Act will be valid across the country. “In Tamil Nadu, however, officials insist that a person with a disability needs to reapply for a certificate if they move to another district. This is particularly tough at a time like now,” said S. Namburajan, State general secretary of the association.

Recently, a woman from Tiruvarur who had shifted there from Thoothukudi years ago, was asked to go back to her hometown, cancel the original certificate and reapply anew, he said. The focus should be on making the process simplified for persons with disabilities and not expecting them to go through hardships in procuring the certificate again, he said.

The association has further called for the sensitisation of officials across government departments with regard to the provisions of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.