proof of disability

billy the squid

Ok here goes. part of college application requires proof of disability for acess to disability services . the required proof is supposed to come from a consultant, (presumably an eye specialist)

With a med card application pending, how much am i likely to be charged for this consultant's services, or will they wait for medical card to go through if I make them aware that I am waiting on it.

due to all the recent job losses, I am expecting to be waiting a while for the card.

GER12

There is no charge incurred when you go to outpatients clinics in public hospitals. The other way you can do this - is get a letter from your GP which should be suffice - and attach the letter from the consultant which should have been sent out to the GP after your diagnosis. Alternatively, phone the consultants secretary and ask them to send you a letter detailing your diagnosis - they are usually accomodating.

billy the squid

Have appointment with GP on Monday, will ask them if the original diagnosis letter will suffice. if it doesn't then it's an unwelcome trip to the big smoke as that is where consultant is based.

bit of a pain in the ass to be honest. There are more convenient and less expensive ways to prove ones disability, evidence of disability payments from social welfare, certificate of registration with the NCBI the two that come to mind.

The consultants secretaries in Limerick I spoke to were talking in the region of €160.

GER12

When you get a referral and attend a consultant they usually write back to the GP detailing investigations and diagnosis.... your GP should have some kind of record - and the GP could definately just do up a brief letter regardless. The other way you could do it - is to put in a request under Data Protection to the Consultant for access to all your medical records - the cost of an application is about €6.35 (the exact price got from data protection website).... I am sure there has to be something in your med records. Its a bit crazy that you have to go make a trip to the consultant!

billy the squid

GER12 wrote: »

When you get a referral and attend a consultant they usually write back to the GP detailing investigations and diagnosis.... your GP should have some kind of record - and the GP could definately just do up a brief letter regardless. The other way you could do it - is to put in a request under Data Protection to the Consultant for access to all your medical records - the cost of an application is about €6.35 (the exact price got from data protection website).... I am sure there has to be something in your med records. Its a bit crazy that you have to go make a trip to the consultant!

The institution explicitly states that they will only accept a consultant's statement and not that of a GP.

GER12

What a bloomin joke - which INSTITUTION is this - emphasis being on institution? They not realise yet both GP's and consultants are doctors.... so much for meaningless visits to consultants, clogging up Outpatients for such trivial matters (not to mention the cost involved)! I'd certainly exhaust to the T ALL disability support services in this place!

atheist

OP is correct. The Higher Education Authority's criteria for the proof of disability do state that a GP's letter is not sufficient. Myself I'd seen specialist repeatidly at €180 a pop every few months as they also require the report to be recient, and that was on top of €700 for the current diagnosis.

billy the squid

Well if the HEA want it, they can bloody well pay for it

atheist

Sorry Billy, your dealing with bureaucrats, who can not apply logic. You have to first prove you are entitled, with the specialists report (so you need to check with the institutions student services first) and if the institution gets push back, they only then organise an independent assessment, at their expense, (doubling the cost), and go with the lower assessment re facilitation a grey area.
The good news is that the form for the specialistis now one A4 landscape page, from which it's near impossible to read handwriting. Make sure your requirements get listed, e.g. scribe for exams, specialist software (to get a laptop) etc
If I come across the form again I'll pm you.