BUILDING BRIDGES OF FRIENDSHIP

1
VOLUNTEERING FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITY
2
Can you spot any difference

• A child with disability is no different from an
  ordinary child.

3
The Grim Scenario(The odds against the
differently abled)

• Almost all public buildings and places continue
  to be inaccessible and non-negotiable for a
  person with disability, like special toilets,
  ramps, special signals etc.
• Lack of proper education and vocational training
  opportunities for children with disability.
• The pervasive attitude of discrimination and pity
  towards the differently abled rather than an
  empathetic attitude to their needs-- they are a
  socially excluded lot.

4

• Rehabilitation Services almost negligible in
  rural areas.
• Lack of adequate humanpower to work in different
  areas pertaining to the differently abled.
• Poor situation in terms of employment of persons
  with disability.

5
The Bare facts

• Conservative data estimates that 70-100 million
  of Indias population are differently abled.
• One estimate mentions that India may well have
  about 30 million children with disability.
• Less than 1 of children with disability receive
  education of any kind.

6

• NEED
• There is an enhanced need for more human power to
  work for the differently abled and provide
  rehabilitation services.
• Retired teachers, ex-servicemen, housewives,
  students-- all can volunteer for the persons with
  disability.
• Focus should be to develop and deliver quality
  education at all levels.

7

• Home-based education can be promoted in remote
  areas.
• Need to orient teachers in general schools on
  issues of disability, early identification and
  how to teach a differently abled child in a
  general classroom.
• Community Participative Rehabilitation
• Aim should be to promote INCLUSION

8
Initiatives of the International
Year of Volunteers for Persons with Disability

• 1. Young volunteers for the Persons with
  Disability in partnership with BROTHERHOOD.
• 2. An action study on coverage of disability by
• the Media in partnership with SAMATVAM.
  Samatvam has also started a website on
  disability, empathyindia that is being projected
  as an information clearinghouse. (Samatvam is an
  initiative of team IYV India and comprises of
  mediapersons, researchers and other concerned
  individuals working for the disadvantaged)

9
Initiatives of the International Year of
Volunteers for Persons with Disability
3. Making hospitals friendly to persons with
disability 4. Alternatives to mental asylum--An
Action Study 5. Schizophrenia Support Group
10
BUILDING BRIDGES OF FRIENDSHIPInitiative 1

• The IYV team, UNV and BROTHERHOOD joined
  hands initiated a campaign to bridge the gap
  amongst the general population and the
  differently abled.

11
Young Volunteers for the Persons with Disability

• Campaign focuses on school students, presently it
  is going on in more than 25 schools of Delhi.
• Aim is to sensitise students, principals,
  teachers and school management of the general
  schools on various issues concerning disability.
• To create an empathetic attitude among the
  teachers students of the regular schools.
• Efforts are on to take the campaign to other
  parts of the country in partnership with
  Rehabilitation Council of India, Ministry of
  Social Justice Empowerment.

12
Interaction programmes between special other
school children have been evolved through an
Orientation Interaction and Association (OIA)
Model. Campaign aims to create a YOUTH VOLUNTEER
CORP for the PERSONS WITH DISABILITY. We believe
this YOUTH VOLUNTEER CORP will provide much
needed HUMAN POWER for mainstreaming the persons
with disability.
13
HOW OUR CAMPAIGN IS MOVING FORWARD THROUGH

• 1. ORIENTATION
• Lecture sessions to orient the school children
  towards the physical, mental and pyschological
  needs of the differently abled.
• 2. INTERACTION
• Interaction between students their
  differently abled counterparts through
  socio-cultural interactive activities.
  Interaction with Achievers with disability.
• 3. ASSOCIATION
• We believe, that the above 2 steps will result
  in a long term association.

14

ORIENTATION of young minds about state,
status, special needs of persons with
disability
QUESTIONNAIRE to students to gauges their
understanding about Disability
How our campaign is moving forward? Through
Orientation, Interaction Association
We belive that this process (OIA MODEL) is the
first step for bringing the persons with
disability into the MAINSTREAM
INTERACTION programme Integrated cultural
programmes, picnics, exhibition of paintings,
arts, plays
ASSOCIATION through associative activities like
integrated community work, Bday celebrations etc
15
Inclusivity Week (Nov 7 - 14)

• Major awareness and sensitisation campaign on
  issues related to disability for school teachers,
  students and public at large.
• Integrated interactive activities like essay
  competitions, debates, cultrual programmes.
• Special schools showcased aids and appliances for
  the persons with disability in general schools.
• General school students visited Special Schools.

16

• Integrated Community Work
• Children with mental retardation, their families,
  other children and many others joined hands to
  clean their slums.

17
Initiative 2 COVERAGE OF DISABILITY BY THE
MEDIA In partnership with SAMATVAM-a group of
mediapersons researchers An initiative of team
IYV, India

• Journalists have got together to highlight
  different aspects and issues related to
  disability.
• A study is being undertaken to understand media
  coverage on disability issues.
• As a follow up, Disability Awareness Resource Kit
  for media has been planned.
• Efforts on to have more space on disability
  issues in the media.
• Webportal on disability initiated by Samatvam

18
Initiative 3 Making Hospitals Friendlyto
Persons with Disability

• Numerous steps are being taken for creating a
  disabled friendly environment in hospitals.
• This can be done by providing -
• Focal points
• Volunteering efforts directed towards
  helping
• the differently abled.
• Increasing Accessibility and Communication
• Increasing public awareness and education

19
Urgent need of the hour is to make hospitals
disabled friendly

• Incorprate Focal Points for Persons with
  Disability
• one-stop single-window - clearance
  mechanism for answering questions regarding mode
  of treatment, tests done, medical counselling
• Manned by skilled doctors and other allied
  health professionals like nurses and trained
  medical social workers trained in special needs
  of the disabled

20
Initiative 4 Mental Health Participation of
community in rehabilitation of the mentally
challenged

• Plight of the mentally challenged people-excluded
  from society
• Need for active participation of the community in
  reintegration of them into society
• Halfway homes
• Vocational training for the differently abled to
  make them independent
• Participation of the family in the reintegration
• Training of health professionals to deal with
  special needs

21
Initiative 5 Schizophrenia Support Group

• The negative effects of stigma includes
  discouragement, hurt and anger, lowered self-
  esteem, disrupted relationships, negative
  labelling, less chance of employment
• Support Group would facilitate increased
  awareness among the public by imparting community
  education through media
• Involve community workers, students,
  psychiatrists, doctors, etc in the Group for
  early intervention and sensitisation.

22
Imagine

• If out of one billion Indians
• 1 percent of us invest one hour in Volunteering
  per week
• we have 520 Million volunteer hours.
• Even if 1 of them volunteer for persons with
  disability, the process of INCLUSION can be
  accelerated.

23
If you are really keen to help people to
achieve something good for themselves, you
would never be deterred in your efforts or
harmed in any way even if the whole world were
to stand in your way. If you are devoted to the
cause and are really selfless, the Divine Power
in you would overcome any opposition----------
-- Swami Vivekananda
Ball-pen art of a child with paraplegia