Delhi government on Monday announced that it would provide free equipment to people with disabilities under the Sugamya Sahayak Yojana. The social welfare department has prepared a list of 20 types of essential equipment, including wheelchairs, hearing aids, and walking sticks.
To be eligible for the scheme, a person must have a disability certificate issued by a government-recognized medical authority. The person must also have an annual income of less than Rs. 3 lakh.
“The department will organise camps at different places to distribute the equipment. The people who have a disability of 40% or more will have to apply online and submit a certificate,”. The department will soon sign a five-year memorandum of understanding with Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India to implement the scheme.
The list of 20 equipment is as follows as published in a Government of India notification on May 29, 2022. The notification is available on the website of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. :
- Wheelchair
- Hearing aid
- Walking stick
- Crutches
- Bathing chair
- Toilet seat
- Lift
- Computer with assistive software
- Smart phone with assistive software
- Shorthand machine
- Braille writer
- Books in Braille
- Folding walker
- Foot care unit
- Smart cane
- Artificial limb
- Tricycle
- Smart wheelchair
- Wheelchair with seating arrangement
- Power wheelchair
Here are some additional details about the Sugamya Sahayak Yojana:
- The scheme is open to all people with disabilities, regardless of their age, gender, or type of disability.
- The scheme is funded by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
If you are a person with a disability and would like to apply for the scheme, you can contact your local social welfare department.
