Serving the Differently abled persons

Gandhigram University shows the way

Gandhigram Rural University has recently started a Centre for Disability and Development, to provide the much needed extension service to persons with disabilities, living in its rural hinterlands.  Initially, the Centre conducted a survey of these persons in 11 village panchayats of Athoor block, and identified about 300 persons with orthopaedic, visual, speech and hearing impairment, mental retardation, autism, and leprosy cured persons.

Welfare assistance

            The survey revealed that most of them had not obtained their Disability Identity Card, which is a basic document for every disabled person to avail the benefit of government programmes.  Therefore, the university arranged free transportation to district government hospital, Dindigul for disability assessment and certification.  After receiving National Identity Certificate from the District Disability Rehabilitation Officer, the centre provided them with awareness regarding the various welfare programmes available from state and central governments and NGOs.

            Classifying by their disability types, the centre enabled the eligible persons to avail the benefit of welfare programmes such as scholarship for children, exemption of tuition fees for college students, tri-cycles, wheel chairs, hearing aid, glass and walking stick, Braille watch, free bus pass, pension and other benefits.

            The centre organizied free medical checkup for mentally challenged persons, in their villages by Psychiatrists from Government hospital.  It also  enabled 25 mentally retarded persons to receive a monthly pension of Rs.500/- from the District Disability Rehabilitation office for the last one year. 

Micro Credit

Later, the centre organized them into Self help Groups (SHGs), exclusively for men and women in every village / hamlet served by the university.  After ensuring regular savings for a year, the centre mobilized bank loans for active SHGs, for purchase of milch animals.   Encouraged by the enthusiasm shown by two SHGs at Kalikampatti village of Athoor block, S V Foundation, an NGO based at Chennai offered a back end subsidy of Rs.60,000 for 12 members @ Rs.5000/- each.

            S V Foundation also provided micro-credit to SHGs in five other panchayats for farm and non-farm activities, at minimal interest rates, to be recycled among the new members.  Moreover, disabled youth who had school education were freely trained in technical skills at WORTH Trust, Chennai for six months.  S V Foundation provided free accommodation and food to these youth for 6 months.

            The centre facilitated two SHGs to receive a revolving fund of Rs.60,000/- each, from Tamil Nadu Women Development Corporation, assisted by the Gandhigram Trust.  Further, 30 persons with disabilities have been enabled to get a loan of Rs.30,000/- each, with a subsidy of Rs.7500/- under SGSY (Swarna Jayanti Swarojgar Yojana) of Government of India, with the help of local Block Development Officer and the Project Officer, Mahalir Thittam.

Support  from Institutions

            Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences, Hyderabad, in collaboration with the Lions Clubs-coordinated 'Project Mahatma', examined over 150 orthopaedically handicapped persons for free caliper distribution at Gandhigram.  With financial support from LIC of India under its Jeevan Mathur Scheme (Mumbai), 35 persons among those screened by NIMS, were provided with free light weight calipers, made of polyproplene sheet, used for aeroplanes.  Mr.P.Chidambaram, Union Minister of Home Affairs, Government of India distributed these calipers at a function organized in Sivaganga recently.

            Aravind Eye Hospital's CBR unit (Madurai) interacted with about 60 families of persons with visual impairment, for initiation of community-based rehabilitation activities.  Similarly, St.Joseph's School for the Blind, Paravai (Madurai) offered to admit visually impaired boys and girls from poor families and provide free education.  Project Impact India, a Madurai-based NGO, specialized in treatment for hearing impairment, examined nearly 100 pre-school children in the 11 panchayats, and provided them with medical support and initiated follow up treatment wherever needed.

Training Support

            Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) of Gandhigram Rural University (GRU) organized free training for persons with disabilities.  Themes of training  include 'Oil seeds crop cultivation' for farmers with provisions for supply of free inputs, and 'Nutrition education' for the adolescent girls among the disabled.  The centre mobilized resources for a severely anaemic disabled girl, whose HB count is being increased from 25 to 50, through nutritive supplements.

            KVK also provided goats and sewing machines free of cost to persons with disabilities, living in extreme poverty.

            Centre for Disability and Development  also organized training programme for NGOs working for the welfare of disabled.  With the support of Action on Disability and Development (ADD India), a Bangalore-based funding agency, the centre organized a 10-days training programme for its partner NGOs in Tamil Nadu on the use of 'Participatory methods in Project planning for Disability intervention'.

Policy Advocacy

            In addition to field-based action programmes, the Centre for Disability and Development has also undertaken policy advocacy programmes.  With the support of Centre for World Solidarity, Hyderabad (Tamil Nadu Resource Centre), a national level workshop was organized on 'Policy Issues in Disability Intervention'.  Another workshop on ' Policy issues in Empowering the Visually challenged Persons' was organized with the support of UGC-funded Adult Education Department of Gandhigram Rural University.  The third workshop on 'Policy issues in the Care of Mentally challenged Persons' was made possible with support from KVK, Gandhigram and PSNA College, Dindigul.  Major recommendations of these workshops were sent to the Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, Government of India and Tamil Nadu State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities for favour of their consideration.

Sustainability

            Based on the successful functioning of Self Help Groups in the service villages of the university, about half a dozen persons with different types of disabilities (orthopaedic disability, visual, speech and hearing impairment and mental retardation) have formed a disabled people-run organization (DPO).  At present, the DPO has been enabling the SHGs to raise resources for starting income generating activities.

            Prof.M.P.Boraian, Coordinator of the Centre for Disability and Development and Professor and Head, Department of Extension Education feels that much of the problems of persons with disabilities remain to be addressed by the donors, NGOs and the government.  He feels that the government should bring about a major change in its approach towards disability intervention, by reaching out to doorsteps of the disabled persons, rather than making them to visit government departments for availing welfare programmes.

            Centre for Disability and Development owes its growth to the authorities of the Gandhigram Rural University, the District Disabled Rehabilitation Officer, Dindigul district and Block Development Officer, Athoor for their active support in promoting the welfare of persons with disabilities.  It welcomes funding partners to be associated with the disability intervention activities among the rural disabled persons.