More than 250,000 people with disabilities have been identified, according to the Department of Social Affairs, Veterans Affairs and Youth Rehabilitation’s Disability Welfare Department, despite some officials showing a “limited understanding” of different types of disability. Sann Ratana, Director General of the Department, said.
He said registration began in August 2020 and uses an information technology management system to determine the type of disability.
“Verifying the identity of people with disabilities is very important because it means that they can be issued an ID card, which means they can access support services from the public and private sectors.
“We face some obstacles and challenges. Disability awareness remains limited among many commune officials, families and communities,” he continued.
Sann Ratana said that some of the commune-level program implementers were not trained in using the app used to register people, so the issuance of ID cards for people with disabilities was slower than expected. I said late.
Chhor Ponnaroth, Program Officer of Disability Cambodia, said the fact that the government is arranging for persons with disabilities to have ID cards is a positive development. The card meant that different benefits were available, depending on the type of disability. This includes social assistance packages, medical services, educational services and emergency interventions during natural disasters.
Registration also helps target specific employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
“There are some drawbacks to the issuance process. Phnom Penh and some provinces seem a bit reluctant to share information about how to apply and the benefits it can offer.
He said the problem was that some of the staff members entrusted with conducting the interviews did not have sufficient knowledge of disability. This resulted in an uneven experience for interviewees.
“I propose to provide further training to these officials to deal with these issues. Cards are a valuable resource for persons with disabilities in Cambodia and we hope that as many people as possible will benefit from them. I am,” he said.
“Local authorities, including communes and village chiefs, should provide more support to people with disabilities. Many of them face mobility problems, so the authorities are prepared to interview them at home. have to do,” he added.
