The
disability sector of SAMUHA, works towards reducing the
incidence of disability and ensure
that
people with disabilities achieve their maximum potential and
therefore lead a life which is
independent
and meaningful.
SAMARTHYA’s
current areas of operation are spread across Raichur and
Koppal districts and the Haliyal taluk in Uttara Kannada
district.
Increasing
recognition of SAMARTHYA’s work SAMARTHYA
succeeded in getting registration under the National Trust Act
1999, and
SAMARTHYA
staff are registered with Rehabilitation Council of India
(RCI) so that their services
are
now considered professional.
A
Parents’ Forum was launched during the year to provide
expert advice to parents on their role in ensuring education
of their children, as well as provide them with information on
the National Trust Act 1999 for the people with Mental
retardation, Cerebral Palsy, Autism and Multiple Disabilities
and matters such as insurance and guardianship.15 parents
joined the forum which is expected to grow in the
future.
A
Community Resource Centre for the Disadvantaged (CRCD)
was constructed with ODA assistance from the Embassy of Japan
and began functioning, providing easy access to services for
people with disabilities and serving as a residential training
facility for them. During the year camps and trainings were
held at the centre benefiting 212 people with
disabilities.
Taluk
Disability Resource Centre (TDRC)
was established in Koppal and Deodurg
which
provide
information and guidance to people with disabilities and
advocate for their rights with
government
at the taluk and district levels. The resource centres are run
by organisations of
people
with disabilities - Prathidwani and Navashakti, extending
services to 3670 people with
disabilities
and their families. Of this, 817 people have visited the
Resource Centre.
Strengthening
formal and informal organisations of People with
Disabilities
Samarthya
continue its efforts of strengthening people with disabilities
and facilitate them to
become
as independent as possible within the limitations of their
disabilities.
As
part of efforts to organize and strengthen people with
disabilities, 11 hobli level Self Help
Groups
(SHGs) were formed. All this has expanded coverage and reach
of people with disabilities
to
advocate for reservation of funds in Gram Panchayats for
housing support, ration cards, and
other
government benefits. Apart from this, has extended the support
to the state level disability
network
called Karnataka Rajya Angavikalara Okkuta for promoting and
empowering disability
groups
in different parts of the state.
Services
for People with Disabilities
Disability
clinics have been expanded providing services at hobli level
Primary Health Centres in
order
to improve access and coverage. Special efforts were made to
provide information and
understanding
of injuries related to spinal cord as an increasing number of
such cases are being
identified,
and 26 cases were treated. A short stay camp was held with
support of Hilary Crowley, Samuha Overseas Development
Association, Canada, and her students from the Physiotherapy
Department of Queens University in Canada, in which
therapeutic, mobility, activities of daily living skills and
other rehabilitation services were provided to those with
spinal injuries.
Horticulture
training to People with Disabilities, the
focus of this program is to provide
vocational
training in specific job oriented training in horticulture and
dairy for a period of 1 year.
This
has been initiated in association with Association of People
with Disability, Bangalore and 8
trainees
are now undergoing training at Kanakagiri campus where the
programme is set up.
The
Karnataka Open University has chosen SAMARTHYA as a
Study Centre for its Bachelor of Education, Special Education
programme, because of the high quality of services provided
by
Samarthya.
During the year, 34 students availed of the services of the
centre. SAMARTHYA
continues
to function as study centre for Bangalore University’s distant
learning courses on
community
based rehabilitation.
