Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Tourette Syndrome, and Narcolepsy Also Recognized as Disabilities

Ministry of Health and Welfare CI (Provided by Ministry of Health and Welfare)

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] Obsessive-compulsive disorder, Tourette syndrome, and behavioral and cognitive impairments caused by narcolepsy, which were not previously included in the disability recognition criteria, will now be recognized as disabilities. Additionally, the disability assessment criteria for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) and complete urinary incontinence will be improved.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced on the 6th that the partial amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the Welfare of Persons with Disabilities Act, containing these changes, was approved at the Cabinet meeting held on the same day.

This amendment was prepared to expand the recognition criteria for visual and mental disabilities under the Welfare of Persons with Disabilities Act, thereby ensuring broader access to welfare services for persons with disabilities.

Through this amendment, the recognition criteria for visual disabilities now include the symptom of diplopia, where a single object appears as two. The mental disability recognition criteria have been expanded to include ▲ obsessive-compulsive disorder ▲ organic mental disorders caused by neurological damage to the brain ▲ Tourette syndrome and behavioral and cognitive impairments caused by narcolepsy, which significantly restrict daily life activities.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare is revising the enforcement rules and the notification of the 'Disability Degree Assessment Criteria' alongside the amendment of the enforcement decree. This revision includes the basic requirements and detailed assessment criteria for registering patients with CRPS, complete urinary incontinence, and nephrotic syndrome as persons with disabilities.

Lee Sun-young, Director of the Disability Policy Division at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, stated, "With this amendment, the range of diseases eligible for disability registration has expanded, and we expect that more people will be able to receive welfare services for persons with disabilities."