A call for help for people like me who are stuck in the system, and unable to access the support they need.

Many people like me don’t fit the common idea of what it means to be "disabled." We struggle daily, yet because our challenges aren’t always visible or recognized, we are left out and ignored. This isn’t about asking for pity—it’s about asking for understanding and fairness. We exist between two worlds: too disabled to live normally but not "disabled enough" to get the help we desperately need.

My Story:
I am a 22-year-old individual with monocular vision, having lost sight in one eye due to an accident when I was 9 years old. Along with that, I also have neurodivergent ADHD with developmental delays, which are currently under diagnosis and evaluation at NIVH, Dehradun. My struggles with disability recognition have been long and frustrating, and I’ve found myself stuck between being too disabled for many jobs, and yet not disabled enough for getting any support.

Today, the vision in my remaining eye is getting worse due to myopia caused by eye strain/fatigue. Doctors say there’s no permanent cure, but it can be temporarily corrected using some corrective measures like lenses or laser surgeries, and can only be prevented further through lifestyle improvements.

Living with Neurodivergence and Developmental Delays:

On top of my vision issues, I live with ADHD(Neurodivergence). Growing up, I always felt different in certain areas, I was always behind in development compared to my peers. Today, it makes it hard to maintain social relationships, concentrate, stay organized, or healthily manage daily life. My family worries—will I ever be able to live on my own, build a stable future, and feel secure?

My Early Dreams and Struggles
As a child, I was passionate about joining the army, but my accident at 9 shattered that dream when I became blind in one eye. It was devastating, but I eventually moved on and decided I would become a civil engineer. I became obsessed with learning about engineering, about construction—studying projects, tinkering with technical instruments, and diving into technical drawings. I thought this was my new purpose.

At 16, however, I found out that even civil engineering jobs required a certain level of medical fitness, and my vision impairment would disqualify me. Once again, I was crushed.

Shifting to Computers
After moving on from civil engineering, I turned to computers, something I had always been good at. I excelled in it during school and even scored full marks in computers in my 10th board exams. Despite my challenges with learning and focus due to my developmental delays, I thought I could still pursue a career in IT. I worked hard to learn new skills, and eventually, I landed a job in the field based solely on my abilities, without a degree.

However, working 12-16 hours a day in front of screens, while necessary for my job and online studies, has taken a toll on my vision in my better eye. I now need glasses to see clearly, and the constant screen time is affecting both my physical and mental health.

The Need for Disability Recognition
The disability certificate would make my life significantly easier, and it’s meant to do exactly that—provide support for individuals with disabilities so that they can contribute to society. At 22, the challenges I face with vision, concentration, and focus are not temporary setbacks; they’ve shaped who I am, and they’re ongoing.

Even today, I struggle with basic day-to-day tasks. These daily challenges take a toll on my self-esteem, self-confidence, mental health, and ability to concentrate on studies or work. The certificate would help explain these challenges to employers and educational institutions, allowing me to get the accommodations I need to focus on what I’m capable of, rather than constantly advocating for myself.

The Broken System:

In India, if you need accommodations, you must have a disability certificate with a rating of at least 40%. But even though the Supreme Court of India ruled in July 2022 that the degree of disability should not be a reason to deny reasonable accommodations, this doesn’t help much if you don’t have that disability certificate. Without the benchmark disability certificate, one has to struggle to access the accommodations they need to succeed.

For example, when we try to apply for jobs, universities, or anything that asks about disabilities, we can’t check the "PWD" box if we don’t have the benchmark disability certificate. I’ve tried many times to get it, but I’ve been denied. Without it, I would have to repeatedly disclose deeply personal information to get the help I need—whether it’s earplugs, screen readers, scribes, extra exam time, or workplace accommodation. I also have social anxiety, I avoid getting any help because of having to speak out for myself again and again, a formal certificate, a formal recognition of my condition, would help me here greatly in getting the support I need. 

Why I’m Speaking Out:

I’m asking for the chance to live with dignity, to work, and to support my family. This isn’t just about me; it’s about thousands of people like me. We’re caught in a system that refuses to acknowledge us. We deserve the chance to thrive, contribute, and live without fear.

Please sign this petition and share it. Help create a world where everyone, no matter their disability, can dream, work, and live with dignity.

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I’m asking for the chance to live a life with dignity.

• Unable to access accommodations: Without official recognition or a formal document, I can’t ask for the help I need —things like screen readers with big fonts, flexible hours, or reduced screen time. In college, I don’t have the support like extra time for exams, earplugs, scribes, or any assistive devices.
  I’m struggling, silently, without a formal certificate, I would be forced to repeatedly disclose deeply personal information to employers and institutions, which I don't do because of lack of confidence and social anxiety.
• No security for the future: People like me are ineligible for any kind of insurance, What happens if I can’t work anymore? How would I be able to support my family? What if I lose all vision even in better eye? I don’t have an answer. I only have fear. 
  I am at great risk of losing my vision right now if I don't get support and accommodations. Why is it that only when I lose all of my vision(which is bound to happen without help), will I get the help and support? That makes no sense.

The Stripping Away of Basic Constitutional Rights:

1. Right to Education (Article 21A): The challenges I face due to my developmental delays and my vision impairment make it impossible for me to succeed and to show my true potential in traditional educational environments without support.
   Without official recognition of my conditions as disabling, I am not being accommodated in educational institutes, and because of my challenges, I am failing to continue my higher education further.
   Since past 3 years, I have enrolled myself in 3 different kinds of degree programs, but I have been facing issues finishing them without any help or support. 
   My right to education is being denied.

2. Right to Life and Personal Liberty (Article 21):

   - My right to life, which includes the right to live with dignity, is being stripped away. Without recognition and support for my condition, I face constant anxiety about my future, my health, and my family's well-being. I am unable to secure life insurance, further putting my family’s future at risk of uncertainty.
   - The lack of accommodations at work, and lack of many career options also limits my right to livelihood, which is essential to sustaining a dignified life.

3. Right to Non-Discrimination in Employment (Article 16):

   Denial of disability recognition without a benchmark disability certificate, means I am unable to compete on equal footing in the job market. Because of my disability, I face challenges in securing employment in many jobs requiring medical fitness, but then I am also deprived of the accommodations necessary to perform healthily at my full potential in the jobs I can do, thus infringing on my right to equal employment opportunities.

4. Right to Social Justice and Protection (Article 41):

   The government has a duty to ensure that those with disabilities(whether benchmark or not), receive public assistance and support for employment and education no matter the degree of disability. By not recognizing my conditions as disabilities, the government is failing to uphold this right to social justice.

5. Right to Privacy and right to live with dignity (Article 21):

   Without a formal disability certificate, I would be forced to repeatedly disclose deeply personal information to employers and institutions while seeking support, infringing upon my right to privacy and dignity.
   I wear a cosmetic prosthesis on my blind eye to give me a normal appearance, but to get the support or any help, I would have to explain my condition again and again in public places, which is humiliating and degrading, so I avoid getting any help, a formal certificate, a formal recognition of my condition, would help me here greatly in getting the support I need. 

6. Right to Equality (Article 14):

   I am not being treated equally. My disabilities leave me disadvantaged without recognition in many places, I can't get many jobs and I am also not eligible for any insurance, violating my right to equal opportunities and protection from discrimination.

I call on the government to reassess its criteria for disability recognition and provide formal certification/accommodations for people with all kinds of disabilities. My rights to education, employment, and full participation in society are being denied due to a system that fails to recognize these challenges.

By signing this petition, you’re standing up for a fairer, more inclusive system that recognizes the rights of individuals like me—those who don’t fit neatly into the current categories but deserve the support necessary to thrive.