There is an increasing trend of failure to get disability certificates on-ground, there are systemic barriers such as non-availability of neurologists in the assessment panel, making PwMS wait in long lines in the extreme hot or cold weathers (making their symptoms worse)
What adds to the woes is the lack of awareness about MS!
We want to change this! We want to amplify these concerns and bring to the forefront our need to review the current Assessment Guidelines in the RPWD Act – 2016 so that it becomes more inclusive and applicable to the actual person for whom it was created in the first place!
Through our #ReassessMS campaign, we will be sharing the stories of everyday challenges that persons with MS face because of the lack of inclusive guidelines.
Brace yourself for an insightful journey where we collectively raise our voice for the rights of persons with MS and their families!
In 2016, Multiple Sclerosis was included as one of the 14 new disabilities in the Right to Person With Disabilities. A few months after this was announced, we started increasingly witnessing cases of persons with MS (PwMS) struggling to get disability certificates and benefits accruing from it. Those who are living with MS, already know the ground realities and challenges that is to flow from it.
Many PwMS continue to struggle to get disability certificates because
- From the current assessment guidelines, it is not clear as to which sections are clearly applicable to an MS person.
- It misses out a majority of the MS population that experiences the episodic nature of the other kind of MS known as Remitting Relapsing MS
- It does not take into consideration ‘Remitting Relapsing’ type of MS which might have invisible disability in the form such as (i) Motor and Sensory impairment, Speech, Bladder and bowel dysfunction (ii) Fatigue or (iii) Depression
- It does not provide a criterion for quantifying the amount of multidimensional disability resulting from multiple sclerosis.
- The assessment guidelines currently directly address the benchmark disability caused by Primary progressive MS. However, primary progressive MS is only 15% of worldwide cases of MS.
It’s time to #ReassessMS.
Recommendations for Govt. of India to #ReassessMS
Voices for #ReassessMS
MSSI President’s appeal to #ReassessMS campaign
MSperson Preeti Berry speaks about the misconceptions of Multiple Sclerosis #RassessMS
Highly-qualified MSperson Dr.Ruchi Sethi’s struggle to procure a disability certificate continues #ReassessMS
IT companies need more compassion towards MSpersons” says MSperson Mitrajyoti #ReassessMS
MSperson Puja Chaudhary from Noida requests Government to be sensitive to the basic needs of MSpersons
Need Neurologist in Assessment Panel – Mother’s appeal to #ReassessMS: Mr. and Mrs. Karnik explain the need to have neurologists on the assessment panel. #ReassessMS #DisabilityRights
Simplify the process of procuring Disability Certificate- Request from MS person Shama Nagpal #ReassesMS: Shama Nagpal shares the challenges she had to overcome because of the unavailability of a neurologist in the assessment panel.
Why Early Diagnosis of MS matters – MS person Siddharth: Siddharth shares how things could have been different if he would have been diagnosed earlier. #ReassessMS #MSAwareness
Early Diagnosis of MS is a must- appeals MS person, Heeru Dhavan: Heeru Dhawan shares how things could have been different if she would have been diagnosed earlier. #ReassessMS #MSAwareness