Persons With Disabilities

For registration purposes, the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development through the Department of Social Welfare has classified the disabled into seven (7) main categories :

Bil. Category Explanation
1. Hearing Disability

Individuals who are unable to hear clearly without hearing aids or unable to hear even with hearing aids. There are four levels of hearing disability categorised as below:

Mild - (20 - < 30 dB) (for adults)
Moderate - (30 - < 60 dB)
Severe - (60 - < 90 dB)
Profound - (> 90 dB)
2. Visual Disability

Individuals who are visually impaired or have low vision in either one eye or both eyes even with visual aids such as spectacles or contact lenses. There are two categories of visual disabilities as below:

Blind
Better eyesight but vision less than 3/60 even with vision aids or visual field is less than 10 degrees from fixation;

Low Vision/Partially Sighted
EyeSight with vision is poorer than 6/18 but equal or better than 3/60 with visual aids or visual field is less than 20 degrees from fixation.
3. Physical Disability

An individual who is suffering from inability of the body to function normally either caused by bodily defect or injury.

Disabilities that fall under this category are stunted, crippled hands or legs or both, maimed thumb, paralysis, spina bifida, muscular dystrophy and cerebral palsy.

For impairment which does not affect functions such as handicapped one finger, has six fingers or more and without or imperfect earpiece is not categorized as physical disabilities.
4. Learning Disorder Individuals whose intelligence is unbalanced with his or her biological age. People with down syndrome, inert , intellectual disabilities, autism, Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD), specific learning disabilities (dyslexia, dyscalculia, dygraphia) and global development delay fall under this category..
5. Speech Disorder An Individual who is able to hear but with speech problem.
6. Mental Disorder

An Individual who has a severe/chronic mental disorder and undergone treatment or was given diagnosis by psychiatrist for at least 2 years.

As a result of the illness, they are still unable to function either partially or fully in relation to himself or herself or with the community even after undergoing psychiatric treatment. Schizophrenia, mood disorder and chronic Organic Mental Disorder are among the mental illness category.
7. Various Disabilities Individual who has more than one type of disability and not suitable to be classified under any of the five (5) existing categories. For example, an individual who has 2 types of disabilities such as vision and hearing disabilities will be registered under the category of various disabilities.