MANILA, Philippines – The National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA) clarified the guidelines to determine if your visual impairment qualifies you for the Persons with Disability (PWD) ID.
Recently, reports of people with “poor eyesight” being given PWD ID have circulated online.
There are seven (7) categories that qualify for a PWD ID:
PWD ID holders are entitled to several benefits and privileges:
NCDA clarifies
The National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA) has issued a statement to clarify the qualifications under “visual impairment.”
According to Department of Health Administrative Order 2009-0011 and NCDA Board Resolution No. 1 Series of 2006:
“Visual Disability is defined as one who has impairment of visual functioning even after treatment and/or standard refractive correction, and has a visual acuity of the better eye of less than 20/70 for Low Vision and or worse than 20/200 for Blind, or a visual of less than 10 degrees from the point of Fixation.
A certain level of visual Impairment is defined as Legal Blindness. One is Legally Blind when your best corrected central visual acuity in your better eye is 20/200 or worse or your side vision is 20 dress or less in the better eye”.
This means people who has the 20/70 and 20/200 visual acuity with the best corrected vision and even with eyeglasses or contact lenses on are considered with Low Vision and Legally Blind respectively. Thus, they are considered as Persons with Visual Disability and qualify for a Persons with Disability ID Card.
Carmen Reyes Zubiaga, the OIC executive director of NCDA has cautioned the public to be more mindful when applying for the PWD ID. “Siguraduhin niyo po kayo ay may disability at hindi basta sakit lang," she said.
Specialists explain
St. Luke’s Eye Institute Global City has posted their clarification stating, “In order to be qualified for a PWD (person with disability) ID card and its benefits, individuals with VISUAL DISABILITY must have 20/70 best corrected visual acuity on the better eye to be labeled LOW VISION, and 20/200 visual acuity on the better eye to be labeled LEGALLY BLIND.”
The Philippine Blind Union also urged the public to be cautious in asking for a PWD ID for visual impairment. They said, “Hindi po basehan ang grado para mabigyan ng PWD ID. Ang basehan po ay ang visual acuity/visual field. Pakitandaan na ang visual impairment/disability ay hindi napapalinaw ng salamin at contact lenses.”
Dra. Grace Adriano of Allied Care Experts Medical Center gave a more detailed explanation:
“Only persons with poor vision that cannot be corrected with spectacles, contact lenses, medication or surgery are eligible for a PWD Card.”
— Sally, The Summit Express
Recently, reports of people with “poor eyesight” being given PWD ID have circulated online.
There are seven (7) categories that qualify for a PWD ID:
- Physical/Orthopedic Disability
- Visual Impairment
- Hearing Impairment
- Speech Impairment
- Intellectual Disability
- Psychosocial Disability
PWD ID holders are entitled to several benefits and privileges:
- 20% discounts & 12% VAT exemption on certain transactions including medical services and even tollway fees
- 5% discount on basic necessities
- Education assistance
- Government benefits including P15,000 worth of benefits from PhilHealth
- Free movies, VIP parking
- Opportunities for employment
- Express or priority lanes in both commercial and government establishments
- Protection against verbal and non-verbal ridicule and vilification
NCDA clarifies
The National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA) has issued a statement to clarify the qualifications under “visual impairment.”
According to Department of Health Administrative Order 2009-0011 and NCDA Board Resolution No. 1 Series of 2006:
“Visual Disability is defined as one who has impairment of visual functioning even after treatment and/or standard refractive correction, and has a visual acuity of the better eye of less than 20/70 for Low Vision and or worse than 20/200 for Blind, or a visual of less than 10 degrees from the point of Fixation.
A certain level of visual Impairment is defined as Legal Blindness. One is Legally Blind when your best corrected central visual acuity in your better eye is 20/200 or worse or your side vision is 20 dress or less in the better eye”.
This means people who has the 20/70 and 20/200 visual acuity with the best corrected vision and even with eyeglasses or contact lenses on are considered with Low Vision and Legally Blind respectively. Thus, they are considered as Persons with Visual Disability and qualify for a Persons with Disability ID Card.
Carmen Reyes Zubiaga, the OIC executive director of NCDA has cautioned the public to be more mindful when applying for the PWD ID. “Siguraduhin niyo po kayo ay may disability at hindi basta sakit lang," she said.
Specialists explain
St. Luke’s Eye Institute Global City has posted their clarification stating, “In order to be qualified for a PWD (person with disability) ID card and its benefits, individuals with VISUAL DISABILITY must have 20/70 best corrected visual acuity on the better eye to be labeled LOW VISION, and 20/200 visual acuity on the better eye to be labeled LEGALLY BLIND.”
The Philippine Blind Union also urged the public to be cautious in asking for a PWD ID for visual impairment. They said, “Hindi po basehan ang grado para mabigyan ng PWD ID. Ang basehan po ay ang visual acuity/visual field. Pakitandaan na ang visual impairment/disability ay hindi napapalinaw ng salamin at contact lenses.”
Dra. Grace Adriano of Allied Care Experts Medical Center gave a more detailed explanation:
“Only persons with poor vision that cannot be corrected with spectacles, contact lenses, medication or surgery are eligible for a PWD Card.”
— Sally, The Summit Express
I am a disability eye grade,i am nearsighted since birth.can you help me.
ReplyDeletei have a vision of 850 at the right of my eyes @ 350 for my left eye can you considered it to PWD ???
ReplyDeleteEye grade is not a basis for PWD
DeleteAsk your doctor abt your visual acuity and field of vision.
ReplyDeleteIs lazy eye considered visual disability?
ReplyDeleteDoes this mean that even i have a high myopia I can't be qualified as a PWD? Because it can be corrected by glasses or contact lenses? How about yung gumagamit ng hearing aid? Are they not qualified too?
ReplyDeleteI have a lazy eyes. My left eye 520 and my right eye 180 is that considered as PWD??
ReplyDeleteLeft eye almost blind and right 200. Pwede ba magfile ng pwd
ReplyDeleteYup people should understand the law specially people from DSWD should undesrtnd this because this law is pproned to be abused.
ReplyDeleteLike 2 yrs ago may patient po ako na presbyopia lang ang problem then after her eye exams she chosed her eyeglasses ang she asked a PWD discount. So asked her what is her disablity since nakita konpo siya normal. Man lahat at rwading at near lang ang problem at early 40's panlang ang edad. Then she showed me her Pwd card isswd by the CSWD.sabinko di man po porket may refractive error kanor mmay grado ay PWD ka na kasi pag ganon. Lahat na naka salamin pwd? Sabi ko. Mali man po yon saan ka na bataa nyan? Biniro ko. Na lang ang patient sabi ko mahirap. Po yan baka maging tooo na pwd ka na sunod.... Porket nag trabaho sa city hall... Malakas din syempre sa cswd officer... Kaya as practitioners dapat alam. Natin itong batas na ito at marami pong mapagsamantala..
What if totally blind po ba qualified yon? Baket yung putol isang kamay o paa. Qualified. Unfair namn po iyon sa aming iisa lang ang matang nakakakita!?
Deletemy left eye was almost blind and my right eye was 370,consider or qualified po ba sa Pwd
ReplyDeleteNo comment Q.C. PWD section
ReplyDeleteI have 20/100 both us eyes still they say im not qualify
I have 700 grade both eyes. At the moment my eye glasses have 600 both because i can't carry @700. Nahihilo. Without eyeglasses i am almost blind. Am i considered as PWD? Thanks
ReplyDeleteMy both eye is -9.75 ang grado I call PDAW in QC hall they said na -10 ang pwede as pwd then may certificate ng doctor. And my both eys are have Cataract im 48 yrs old
ReplyDeletePag ba 700 to 900 n apo ang grado nang mata at pataas pa maka makuha po ba nang PWD ID card?
ReplyDeletegooday,,800 po grade q both eye..kpag wla po aqng contact lens as in sobrang labo tlaga hnd tlga by details ung nkikita q..before my work aq ung boss q po ngpoprovide ng pmbili ng lens q every year..pero s ngaun po wla po aqng work...
ReplyDeleteSobrang taas na po yung grade sa both eyes ko po 11 sa lens base, pd po ba ako mka avail sa pwd id?kc pag wala talaga ang lens kahit sarili kung mukha pag na2lamin sobrang labo hindo ko na halos makita,..
ReplyDeleteAng naka lagay po sa guidelines para ma consider ka na PWD dapat po ang vision ninyo ay 20/200 or 20/70 na hindi na co correct ng eyeglasses or contact lenses.regardless po ang amount o grade ng lenses ninyo. Kapag nag improve po ang vision sa lenses o contact lens hindi po kayo qualified
ReplyDeleteHi, my 7 year old son both eyes are +800. Is he considered a PWD?
ReplyDelete“Hindi po basehan ang grado para mabigyan ng PWD ID. Ang basehan po ay ang visual acuity/visual field. Pakitandaan na ang visual impairment/disability ay hindi napapalinaw ng salamin at contact lenses.”
Deletegood day po..panu po kapag yung other eye is legally blind at yung other eye is functioning...considered na po bang PWD?thank you
ReplyDeleteGood day po my anak po ako n ngkaroon ng retinoblastoma ng baby p lng siya 5buwan p lng inalis n yung right eye niya 24 na po siya ngayon considered po bang pwd.salamat po
ReplyDeleteHello, left eye is completely blind but my right eye has decent vision. Do I quxalify?
ReplyDeleteIf your right eye has an acuity of 20/50 or better (kaya sa 20/20)... No, you're not qualified.
DeleteIyung 20% discounts & 12% VAT exemption on tollway fees applies to all expressways (i.e. NLEX, SLEX, Cavitex, TPLEx, Skyway, etc.)? If yes, how to avail eh RFID system na ngayon?
ReplyDeleteIyung free movies and parking ba ay nationwide? I'm from Marikina and nag-park ako sa SM North Ave., QC. Sabi taga QC lang daw ang pwedeng free parking.
Hello ask ko lang po qualified po ba ko since 3rd highschool po May eyeglasses na ko hanggang ngayon na 26 yrsold na po ako ang grado po left eye ko po is 900 and sa right eye naman po is 950.
ReplyDelete