|
Background
Families
of persons with extensive or multiple disabilities,
such as profound visual disability, physical disability,
or mental retardation or cerebral palsy and mental
retardation together, experience enormous stresses
which often disrupt family life. In the absence
of any support services for these families, multiple
disabilities the whole family members goes through
acute stress leading to further complications.
In rural and urban slum areas, services are almost
nonexistent, and even where they exist, are not
equipped sufficiently either to deal with the
number of disabled families or deal with the actual
complex needs of these families. As persons with
multiple and severe disabilities may not be able
to participate directly in organizations, or in
development activities, there is a need to facilitate
the formation of family-level mutual support groups
of parents and families of persons with multiple
disabilities, severe disabilities.
Study
Before initiating the project Kiranam, conducted
a study in the area to identify the number and
type of disabled persons living in that area.
Based on the study Kiranam made repeated contacts
with each family and developed the concept of
Parents Association with families having disabled
persons. Though the response was not encouraging
in the initial stages, most of the parents now
have become active members of the association,
and work as volunteers and take care of the day-to-day
functioning of the association.
The Project
This Project includes a large number of highly
educated persons from various disciplines having
keen interest in doing social service. Specialists
including psychiatrist, physiotherapist, occupational
therapist, orthopedic surgeon etc. man the unit.
This association has been taking active support
of eminent personalities, who have unblemished
record of public services as advisors in various
fields to guide Kiranam in achieving it's goal.
This association could gain the confidence of
the NIMH, Secunderabad and was able to
process the project for vocational training in
'envelops making', 'bookbinding' and 'manufacturing
of registers'.
Kiranam
has been guiding the Parents Association to take
up the following activities :
i) to promote independence in disabled persons.
ii) facilitate guardianship where necessary.
iii) address the concerns of those special persons
who do not have their family support.
|
