Direct Community Engagement

Forming Disabled Persons Organisations (DPOs), identifying leaders, to train them with leadership and networking skills is the main body of our work. As a result of this training, leaders of DPOs play a major role in development of their own community.

In Tamil Nadu, we are active in this way in Kunandarkoli, Viralimalai and Gandharvakottai blocks of Pudukottai district while in Karnataka, we work in Siddlaghatta and Gudibande blocks of Chikkaballapur district.

DPO leaders create awareness among the persons with disabilities; they help them access Government entitlements. ADD India encourages DPOs to focus on the issues faced by children and women with disabilities and plan activities around their needs.

Programmes for Women with Disabilities

Through the DPOs, two programmes are facilitated for women with disabilities in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka

Samanvaya

 

Samanvaya is a platform for women with disabilities to meet every month and address their issues. Sometimes, they invite an expert to talk on issues that affect them.  Such meetings and spaces help women with disabilities to open up and talk about such issues in front of others.

Livelihood Programs

With a mission to empower women with disabilities and create livelihood opportunities for them, training and production of palm leaf craft and Ari embroidery products was started. In these livelihood projects, women learn to produce goods for the market and are being trained to set up their own group enterprise.

These livelihood programs have empowered 40 women so far. In addition to their earning, the exposure they get by coming out of their home has made them confident; many, who had not travelled out of their homes without an escort, now commute on their own.

Programmes for Children with Disabilities

Several programmes for children with disabilities are also facilitated through the DPOs in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

Physiotherapy and Art Therapy

Regular physiotherapy is organised with professionals for 250 children with disabilities. This is followed up by the parents and supported with weekly visits of the field staff from the DPOs.  For another 50 children, the field workers use arts-based therapy techniques to support the child’s progress. Arts-Based Therapy (ABT) uses art forms (e.g. drawing, painting, clay modelling, dancing etc.) to help the person/child to communicate and relate to others. It is also a healing process that helps persons with physical, mental and emotional disorders.

Camps

Summer Camps

Each year, summer camps are organized in each location through the DPOs. Over a 100 children with disabilities participate in a camp. Themes of the camps are designed in such a way that it empowers them to become more socially aware citizens.

Skill Development Camps

The emerging challenges of school going children with disabilities gave birth to the skill development camps. These camps are focused on improving skills of daily living for children with visual impairment, speech & hearing impairment and intellectual disabilities.  For example, orientation and mobility skills are taught to children with visual impairment. Organized at the start of the academic year, the camps boost the confidence of the children and ease their back-to–school transition.

Assessment Camps

The DPOs are encouraged to facilitate assessment camps for children with visual impairment and speech and hearing impairment. One camp is held in a year for each Block. These assessment camps provide timely interventions for the children. These camps have now been extended to adults as well. Through these camps the DPOs learn to work in collaboration with other organisations and professionals thereby contributing to their community.

Community Engagement through Partners

ADD India works in partnership with other organisations in Tamilnadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh; we train and enable them to facilitate DPO meetings.  Our trainings are customized as per the need of the partner organization. We have worked with around 300 partners till date.

Current partners in Tamilnadu

Kanchipuram District

  1.  Association for Community Development Services (ACDS), Kelambakkam
  2. Society for Education and Action (SEA), Mammallapuram
  3. Chengalpattu Rural Development Society (CRDS), Timmavaram
  4. Chengalpattu Rural Development Society (CRDS), Walajapet
Current partners in Karnataka
  1.  Caritas India CBR Forum, Bangalore

Kolar District

  1. Bangalore Multipurpose Social Service Society (BMSSS), Mulbagal
  2. Sunanda, KGF
  3. TREES, Bangarpet

Kalaburgi District

  1. Bird Heal, Jewargi
  2. Margadarshi, Chittapura
  3. Prathyasha, Chincholi
  4. Sevasangama Gulbarga
  5. Sevasangama Sedam

Bagalkote District

  1.  Bethany Sanjeevani Kendra, Guledgudda
Current partners in Andhra Pradesh

East Godavari District

  1. Uma Educational and Technical Society (UETS), Kakinada