Helping people with disability lead normal lives

Vasudha Zora | NT

Bengaluru: The International Day for Persons w it h Disability was celebrated by the members of The Association of People with Disability (APD) at Lalbagh on Friday.

The event, held near the East Gate, witnessed an inspiring art installation by artist, Shafeeque Punathil, Dr Rajalakshmi, and Miss Wheelchair World socialised with children and contributed to the awareness program alongside activities for individuals of all sects.

APD was established in 1959 and it has helped over 6 lakh people with disability and their families by providing education, treatment, employment, and social skills. During Covid - 19 many disabled individuals lost their jobs, and the NGO provided 2,000 people with jobs.

The Chief Operations Officer and Executive Director, Dr Senthil NS Kumar, said, “We follow an institutional model, where anybody who has suffered an injury to the spine is provided with fracture and stabilization treatments. We provide rehabilitation and conduc t ob s e r vat ion for three months to make sure they are doing better physically, emotionally, and socially before we let them try for jobs.”

He also added, “We also organise community mental health programmes where we identify individuals with a disability going through mental ailments, especially in rural areas, and coordinate with the district mental health establishments for appropriate care. These programmes are supported by actor Deepika Paudokone’s , Live Love Laugh Foundation, and Nimhans, who conduct regular camps and awareness programmes.”

The NGO works closely with the government to generate awareness and facilities for individuals with a disability. In order to evoke future citizens about the deep-rooted troubles of their less able counterparts, special pro - grammes known as Disabi lity Awareness for School Children, which is aimed at inducing a sense of care for their fellow citizens.

In order to do so, 50 schools have collaborated with the NGO and more than 10,000 children have undergone this programme on an yearly basis. APD Director Dr K P Sunil Kumar said, “We have a unit, known as the Asset to Adapt to Technology. This unit caters to modifications for the equipment used by people with disability such as wheelchairs, tricycles, and coverts. We also make customized wheel chairs for sportspeople as many individuals have taken an interest and bagged more than 50 medals, which puts all of us in shame. But it also gives hope for new beginnings and new ways to make the lives of people with disability as cherishable as an average person's.”