Kiranam Information Centre

This unit aims at counseling and spreading valuable information among the public. During the reporting year two special camps were conducted one at Kukatpally, where local people co-operated in conducting sports, adult education as well as child education, service for the disabled in slum areas. Similar camp was held at Ramachandarapuram, where the people in that locality gave good response in conducting medical aid to the determining the current level of knowledge and attitude of primary school teachers towards children with mental retardation, before undertaking a scientific programme of extending attitudinal change by means of intensive short term orientation course.

Kiranam has always strived to play a proactive role in sensitising the opinion leaders, change agents and the public about the plight of disabled, the irrational prejudices that work against them and the need to ameliorate their situation. Such attitudinal changes would facilitate understanding and social support from communities to persons with disability, enhance financial support to welfare programmes focussed on these sections as well as promote voluntary action.

Kiranam is running several information camps and has its own information centre intended to ensure qualitative improvement in disabled persons lives. Due to limited funds Kiranam is not able to expand facilities in the centre. The information centre has been disseminating information regarding the schemes being implemented by various ministries, the services available and counseling the disabled persons and their guardians, so that they can take advantage and also educate the masses and other disabled persons and generate awareness amongst them.

The objective of the centre has been to contribute to upgradation of standards of education and skills, building of capacity and self-respect of the disabled so that these persons can integrate into the main stream of national life and function to their full potential as productive and contributing members of the society.

Besides their own problems the disabled have to face the problems of increased complexity of life, societal pressures and stress, which has resulted in problems like depression, suicidal tendencies, drug-addiction, alcoholism and withdrawal. These groups require counseling, information and rehabilitation programmes on a regular basis.