Patna. Bihar government has taken an important initiative towards making the lives of disabled people more self-reliant and respectable. Under the Chief Minister Divyangjan Empowerment ‘Chhatra’ Scheme (Sambal), it has now been decided to give its benefits to more people by changing the eligibility rules. This amendment has brought new hope for thousands of disabled people of the state.

Eligibility rules simplified

According to the new system, now those disabled persons above 5 years of age, whose disability is 40 percent or more, will be able to get free artificial limbs and assistive devices under this scheme. Earlier this limit was set at 44 percent, due to which many needy people were deprived of benefits. Apart from this, the annual income of the applicant must be Rs 2 lakh or less.

Documents required for application

To avail the benefits of the scheme, the applicant will have to submit some necessary documents. These include disability certificate or UDID card, residence certificate, age certificate and passport size photo. On the basis of these documents, eligibility will be checked by the District Disability Empowerment Cell.

Modern assistive devices as per disability

1.Digital hearing aids will be given to the hearing impaired.

2.Leprosy-free people will be given kits to help them in their daily lives.

3.There will be facilities for the visually impaired like smart cane, smartphone with screen reader, Braille kit, Daisy player and scanning-reading device.

4.Electric wheelchairs, foldable walkers, adjustable walking sticks, orthosis and prostheses will be provided for mobility disabilities.

5.Special chairs, teaching-learning material kits and MSIED kits will be provided to those suffering from cerebral palsy, autism, Down syndrome, intellectual and specific learning disabilities.

application process

Interested beneficiaries can currently apply offline by visiting the Block Office, Buniyad Kendra or District Divyangjan Empowerment Cell. The government has also indicated that a dedicated portal for online applications will soon be launched, making the process even easier.