NH Walking Disability Certification Absurdity

Friday, April 23 2010 -

In New Hampshire if you having a walking disability you are entitled to getting a “Disability” license plate or placard. These things come in two varieties: Permanent and Temporary. The temporary can last up to 6 months and then you need to re-certify. If you require a permanent one however, after the first year, you are required to recertify every five years. The certification process is a document that is signed by your doctor/certified nurse, etc. that testifies to your continued disability.

It’s reasonable to say that recertification will help reduce the unnecessary use of these things, but let’s call a spade a spade. If you are getting a permanent certification then you don’t, by definition need to recertify, otherwise it would be temporary. The recertification process is there for two reasons: 1) people are getting permanent when they should not e.g. it isn’t really permanent and b) someone in government needed a job. If you have a permanent disability, having to recertify is a waste of everyone’s time involved, which equates to a waste of money; ultimately my money. I have to pay the doctor to sign the form. I have to send it off (or conveniently, they offer walk-in service (oh the irony)) in Concord, NH. I have to pay the taxes that provide the systems, support and government personal to deal with my certification.

But there it is: NH RSA 261:88 states every five years. So this year we are putting: “Leg has not grown back….YET.” Perhaps it will one day grow back and our permanent certification will be revoked, but until then we still need a permanent disability certification.