Scheme of assistance to Disabled Persons For Purchase/Fitting Of Aids/Appliances (ADIP SCHEME)

SCHEME OF ASSISTANCE TO DISABLED PERSONS FOR PURCHASE/FITTING OF AIDS/APPLIANCES (ADIP SCHEME)
INTRODUCTION THE SCHEME AND ITS OBJECTIVES DEFINITIONS SCOPE ELIGIBILITY OF IMPLEMENTING AGENCY UNDER THE SCHEME ELIGIBILITY OF THE BENEFICIARIES QUANTUM OF ASSISTANCE TO DISABLED TYPES OF AIDS/APPLIANCE TO BE PROVIDED PROCEDURE FOR RECEIPT OF GRANT-IN-AID BY AN IMPLEMENTING AGENCY RECOMMENDATION QUANTUM OF ASSISTANCE TO AN IMPLEMENTING AGENCY SANCTION/RELEASE OF GRANT-IN-AID CONDITION FOR ASSISTANCE APPLICATION FOR CENTRAL SCHEME OF ASSISTANCE TO DISABLED PERSONS FOR PURCHASE/ FITTING OF AIDS/APPLIANCES (ANNEXURE-I) APPLICATION FORMAT (ANNEXURE-II)

1. Introduction
It has been the constant endeavour of the Government to provide the disabled persons with aids/appliance at minimum costs. The requirement for providing of aids/appliances, which are essential for the social, economic and vocational rehabilitation of the disabled persons, has come into sharp focus, particularly after the enactment of the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995, which came into force in 1996. Various surveys conducted from time to time have made it clear that India has a very large number of disabled persons. Many of them come from low-income groups. Disability restricts their opportunities for leading functionally productive lives. From the application of modern technology, there have emerged a number of aids, which can reduce the effects of disabilities and enhance the economic potential of the disabled. To illustrate a wheel chair, an artificial limb, crutch, a brace, a splint can greatly improve the mobility of physically disabled individual. Similarly, with the help of a powerful hearing aid, persons with some residual hearing can be helped to carry on many activities of daily living. Low vision to read, print and undertake other activities resulting in their rehabilitation. However, a large number of disabled persons are deprived of the benefits of these appliances because of their inability to find funds to purchase them.
In the light of the Government’s growing stress on helping disabled persons and in bringing the aids and appliances within their reach, it has been decided to continue the ADIP Scheme and modify it in such a way that it becomes more user-friendly and the needy are not deprived of aids/appliances, which are essential for their social, economic and vocational rehabilitation. If they can, thereby, become earning members they would be much closer to achieve economic self-dependence and also be able to live and pursue their activities dignity.
In the light of the Government’s growing stress on helping disabled persons and in bringing the aids and appliances within their reach, it has been decided to continue the ADIP Scheme and modify it in such a way that it becomes more user-friendly and the needy are not deprived of aids/appliances, which are essential for their social, economic and vocational rehabilitation. If they can, thereby, become earning members they would be much closer to achieve economic self-dependence and also be able to live and pursue their activities dignity.

2. The Scheme and its Objectives
The Scheme aims at helping the disabled persons by bringing suitable, durable, scientifically-manufactured, modern, standard aids and appliances within their reach. The estimates, according to 58th Sample Survey conducted by NSSO in 2002, indicate that there are about 18.04 million persons with various types of disabilities in the country. Their disabilities restrict the opportunity for their economic and social growth. In addition, about 3 % of the children below 14 years of age suffer from delayed development. Many of them are mentally retarded and cerebral palsied and require some aids/appliances to attain the capacity for self-care and independent living.
The main objective of the Scheme is to assist the needy disabled persons in procuring durable, sophisticated and scientifically manufactured, modern, standard aids and appliances that can promote their physical, social and psychological rehabilitation, by reducing the effects of disabilities and enhance their economic potential. The aids and appliances supplied under the Scheme must be ISI .

3. Definition
Definitions of various types of disabilities as given in The Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities , Protection of Rights and Full Prticipation ) Act , 1995 (PWD ACT)

4. Scope
The Scheme will be implemented through the Implementing Agencies as listed in the following para. The Agencies will be provided with financial assistance for purchase, fabrication and distribution of such standard aids and appliances that are in conformity with objective of the Scheme. The Implementing Agencies will take care of/make suitable arrangements for fitting and post-fitting care of the aids and appliances distributed under ADIP Scheme. The scope of the Scheme has been further enlarged to include use of mass media, exhibitions, workshops etc. for exchange of information and promoting awareness and distribution and use of aids/appliances.
The Scheme shall also include under its ambit, medical/surgical correction & intervention, which is essential prior to fitment of aids and appliances. The cost could range from Rs. 500/- for hearing & speech impaired to Rs. 1,000/- for visually disabled and Rs. 3,000/- for orthopaeidcally disabled.

5. Eligibility of Implementing Agency under the Scheme
The following agencies would be eligible to implement the Scheme on behalf of Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, subject to fulfillment of laid down terms and conditions:
Societies, registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 and their branches, if any, separately
Registered charitable trusts
District Rural Development Agencies, Indian Red Cross Societies and other Autonomous Bodies headed by District Collector/Chief Executive Officer/District Development Officer of Zilla Parishad.
National/Apex Institutes including ALIMCO functioning under administrative control of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment/Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
State Handicapped Development Corporations.
Local Bodies- Zilla Parishad, Municipalities, District Autonomous Development Councils and Panchayats.
Nehru Yuvak Kendras.
Grant-in-aid under the Scheme will not be given for commercial supply of aids/appliances.
The NGOs should preferably possess professional/technical expertise in the form of professionally qualified staff (from recognized courses) for the identification, prescription of the required artificial aids/appliance, fitment and post-fitment care of the beneficiaries as well as the aid/appliance.
The NGO should also preferably possess infrastructure in the form of machinery/equipment for the fabrication, fitment and maintenance of artificial aid/appliance to be given to a disabled person under ADIP Scheme.
Implementing Organisations should network and establish linkages with medical colleges/district hospitals/rural hospitals/PHCs/fitment centers of ALIMCO/DDRCs/ any other professionally competent agency to acquire/avail the requisite infrastructure for fitment and maintenance of aids/appliances distributed under ADIP Scheme available with these bodies. The Implementing Agencies shall also avail of the professional/technical expertise of above-mentioned agencies for fitment and post-fitment care of the beneficiaries as well as aids/appliances. National Institutes, fitment centers of ALIMCO and DDRCs functioning under the administrative control of Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment shall also assist DRDAs and other autonomous organizations to develop requisite manpower and infrastructure over a period of time to provide satisfactory service to the beneficiaries under the Scheme. Such organizations while applying for the grant under the Scheme shall produce sufficient proof of linkages with the professional agencies preferably in the form of a Memorandum of Understanding.

6. Eligibility of the Beneficiaries
A person with disabilities fulfilling following conditions would be eligible for assistance under ADIP Scheme through authorized agencies:
He/she should be an Indian citizen of any age.
Should be certified by a Registered Medical Practitioner that he/she is disabled and fit to use prescribed aid/appliance.
Person who is employed/self-employed or getting pension and whose monthly income from all sources does not exceed Rs. 10,000/- per month.
In case of dependents, the income of parents/guardians should not exceed Rs. 10,000/- per month.
Persons who have not received assistance from the Government, local bodies and Non-Official Organisations during the last 3 years for the same purpose. However, for children below 12 years of age this limit would be 1 year.

7. Quantum of Assistance to Disabled
Only those aids/appliances which do not cost more than Rs. 6,000/- are covered under the Scheme. However, for visually mentally, speech & hearing or multiple disabled, the limit should be Rs. 8,000/- during their study period after IX standard. The limits will apply to individual items of aid and where more than one aid is required, the ceiling will apply separately. The amount of assistance will be as follows:

Further, traveling cost would be admissible limited to bus fare in ordinary class or railway by second class sleeper subject to a limit of Rs. 250/- for beneficiary irrespective of number of visits to the center and a Certificate from Doctor or Rehabiliation Professional, travel expenses subject to the same limit would be admissible to an attendant/escort accompanying the beneficiary. The beneficiary should attend the Rehabilitation Centre nearest to his/her place of residence, except in the North-Eastern Region where he may be allowed travel cost for traveling outside the Region till such facilities become available within that Region.
Boarding and Lodging Expenses at the rate of Rs. 30/- per day for maximum duration of 15 days would be admissible, only for those patients whose total income is upto Rs. 6,500/- per month.

8. Type of Aids/ Appliances to be Provided
The following aids and appliances may be allowed for each type of disabled individual. However, any other item as notified from time to time by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment for the purpose will also be allowed:
Locomotor Disabled
All types of prosthetic and orthotic devices.
Mobility aids like tricycles, wheelchairs, crutches walking sticks and walking frames/rolators. Motorised tricycles for persons with locomotor disability that are likely to cost more than Rs. 6,000/- may be procured and provided in exceptional cases subject to prior approval of Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment on case to case basis .Extent of subsidy would however continue to be Rs. 6000/- For all other devices ceiling is Rs.6,000/- .
All types of surgical footwears and MCR chappals.
All types of devices for ADL (activity of daily living)
Visually Disabled
Learning equipments like arithmetic frames, abacus, geometry kits etc. Giant Braille dots system for slow-learning blind children. Dictaphone and other variable speed recording system. CD player/ Tape recorder for blind student from X standard.
Science learning equipments like talking balances, talking thermometers, measuring equipments like tape measures, micrometers etc.
Braille writing equipments including Braillers, Braille shorthand machines, typewriters for blind students from X class. Talking calculators, Geography learning equipment like raised maps and globes.
Communication equipments for the deaf-blind. Braille attachments for telephone for deaf-blind persons.
Low vision aids including hand-held stand, lighted and unlighted magnifiers, speech synthesizers or Braille attachments for computers.
Special mobility aids for visually disabled people with muscular dystrophy or cerebral palsy like adapted walkers.
Soft-ware for visually handicapped persons using computers that are likely to cost more than Rs. 6,000/- may be procured and provided in exceptional cases subject to prior approval of Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment on case to case basis. Extent of subsidy would however continue to be Rs. 6000/-. For all other devices ceiling is Rs.6,000/- .
Hearing Disabled
Various types of hearing aids
Educational kits like tape recorders/CD player etc.
Assistive and alarming devices including devices for hearing of telephone, TV, doorbell, time alarm etc.
Communication aids, like, portable speech synthesizer etc.
Mentally Disabled
Any suitable device as advised by Rehabilitation Professional or treating physician.

9. Procedure for the Receipt of Grant-in-Aid by an Implementing Agency
The organizations will submit their application in the prescribed format (Annexure-I & II) to the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment through concerned State Government/UT Administration/National Institute/Regional Rehabilitation Training Centre/District Rehabilitation Centre/any other agency authorized by Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, every year. The application should be accompanied with following documents/information (duly attested):
A copy of Registration Certificate u/s 51/52 of Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities , Protection of Rights and Full Particiapation Act ( PWD Act) , 1995.
A copy Registration Certificate under Societies Registration Act , 1860 and their branches, if any, separately , or Charitable Trust Act.
A copy of Rules, Aims and Objectives of the Organization.
A copy of Certified Audited Accounts and Annual Report for the last year.
Names of the Members of Management Committee of the Organisation.
List of identified beneficiaries and types of aids/appliances required by the organisation for supply/fitting to the identified beneficiaries.
Estimated expenditure for distribution/fitting of aids/appliances amongst the identified beneficiaries.
An Undertaking that the funds will not be utilized for any other purposes.
An Undertaking to maintain a separate account of the funds received from the Ministry under the scheme.
The Implementing Agencies already receiving grant-in-aid under the Scheme should also furnish the list of beneficiaries assisted from the grant-in-aid released to them in the previous year as per proforma given in Annexure-IV in CD in Excell programme and summary of beneficiaries covered in hard copy. Utilization certificate as per Annexure-V may be given
A calendar of activities for entire financial year including probable dates for holding camps etc. for distribution of aids/appliances and also maintain separate account for that.
An Undertaking that the organisation will provide post-distribution care to the beneficiaries as well as aids/appliances, on demand.
Organisation should be financially should and viable and has requisite capability to mobilize the resources.
The organisation shall have working rapport with the District Administration and shall have capacity to utilize the expertise available with District Administration for identification of aids/appliances.
The implementing agencies shall keep manuals/literature on main features , maintenance and upkeep of devices , one year free maintenance would be provided by them for assistive devices . 2% of the annual allocation will be earmarked for monitoring and evaluation of expenses.
The organisation will provide reservation to SC/ST/OBC and disabled persons in accordance with instructions issued by GOI from time to time if it employees more than 20 persons on a regular basis.

10. Recommendation
The State Government/UT Administration/National Institute/RRTC/DRC/any other agency authorized by the Ministry should send its recommendation with specific remarks about:
Professional competence, credibility, integrity and existing infrastructural facilities for satisfactory implementation of the Scheme by the NGO/organisation.
Eligibility of the organisation as laid down by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
Rapport with target groups, capacity and willingness to network with other NGOs and Panchayati Raj institutions etc.
The recommendation should also include whether the NGO is getting grant-in-aid from other Ministries/State Governments etc. for the same purpose.
However, no recommendation is required in case of National Institute and ALIMCO working under the administrative control of Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

11. Quantum of Assistance to an Implementing Agency
No ceiling should be imposed on the quantum of assistance to be released to an Implementing Agency and its branches (separately) during a particular financial year. However, while deciding on the amount of grant to be given, the performance, professional expertise, capacity, track record and outreach capabilities of the agency shall be kept in view 12. Sanction/ Release of Grant-in-Aid
The Implementing Agencies will be sanctioned grant-in-aid in a particular financial year after receiving recommendation from State Government/UT Administration/National Institute/RRTC/DRC/any other agency authorized by Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. The subsequent financial assistance would be sanctioned after receipt of audited accounts and list of beneficiaries with their permanent addresses in the prescribed proformae for the previous year’s grant shall be furnished before the end of second quarter of each financial year, positively.
The recommending authority should create the field agencies who shall strive to conduct sample checking of beneficiaries regarding utilization of grant-in-aid by NGOs and distribution of aids and appliances by the Implementing Agency. The sample checking of beneficiaries regarding utilization of grant-in-aid by NGOs and distribution of aids and appliances by the Implementing Agencies. The sample checking would cover at least 5 to 10 percent of the beneficiaries, which are covered under the Scheme in the previous year.
The grant-in-aid would normally be released in two installments after processing of audited accounts and list of beneficiaries furnished by the organisation/implementing agency to the satisfaction of the Ministry.

13. Conditions for Assistance
The implementing agency will be fully competent to satisfy about the monthly income of the beneficiary and shall obtain a certificate from the concerned competent authority. The identification of the beneficiaries has to be done by an expert in accordance with guidelines issued by Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in this regard.
The implementing agency will maintain a register in the prescribed proforma (Annexure-III) about the beneficiaries assisted under the Scheme.
The implementing agency shall maintain a separate accounts of funds received and utilized from the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment under the Scheme. The fund should be kept in a separate bank account to be operated under ADIP scheme.
A certificate from the Head of the Implementing Agency to the effect that the funds have been utilized. A list of beneficiaries as per proforma given in Annexure- IV assisted by the organisation that the funds given by the Ministry will be furnished along with the yearly application as per procedure indicated in para 9 in CD in Excel programme.
The final accounts for a financial year will be rendered through utilization certificate and audited accounts signed by chartered accountant within six months of the close of the financial year.
The agency implementing the scheme will obtain an undertaking from the beneficiary that he/she has not obtained such aid from any other agency/source during last two years and that he/she not obtained such aid from any other agency/source during last three years and that he/she will keep it for his/her bona fide use.
The agency implementing the scheme will be open to inspection by an officer/agency authorized by Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment or the State Government/UT Administration/National Institutes/DRCs etc.
When the Government of India has reasons to believe that the sanction is not being utilized for the approved purpose the amount would be recovered from the implementing agency with interest and no further assistance would be given to the agency.
The quantum of assistance to be given to an implementing agency during a particular year will be decided by the Government of India. The implementing agencies would, therefore, not incur any liability under the Scheme unless the funds have been sanctioned to them for the purpose.
At least 25% beneficiaries should be girl child/women.