PRESENT ACTIVITIES / CURRENT PROGRAMMES

1. �ASWASANA� (The School for the Multiple Handicapped) :

There are near about 200 Special Schools besides teacher training centers & Vocational Training Centres for the Deaf, the Blind, the Mentally Retarded and the Spastics in the State. But these schools are meant for one particular disabling condition, as for example, a School for the Deaf, a School for the Blind, a School for Mentally Retarded and School for the Spastics. But there is no school for the Multiple Handicapped � children with more than one disability, which are doubly disadvantaged due to the complexity of the disability, incidence of such children are relatively low when compared to single disability thus making it difficult to organize educational facilities. Nevertheless, we must provide appropriate education through specially designed service models considering the co-morbidity of the children.

Our management have ventured to have a school for the Multiple Handicapped called �ASWASANA�, which was started on 6th August 1998. It is difficult to educate the multiple handicapped children, as multiple sense organs, which help in acquisition of self care skills, cognitive skills and communication skills are non-functional. This particular activity is the first of its kind in the State of Orissa. Fortunately, Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment Department, Government of India for first time has been recognised in Orissa and financing the project form August 2006.

Under this project �ASWASANA�. The School for the Multiple Handicapped has at present thirty five day scholar children of different categories of multiple handicapped, namely mentally Retarded with Cerebral Palsy, Autistic with Mentally Retarded, severely orthopedically handicapped with Mentally Retarded and learning disabled, mentally retarded with hearing impaired & attention deficit etc. are receiving various skill trainings through holistic approach. We have at present twenty staff out of which twelve are specially trained educators, three part time teachers in Music, Dance, Art & Craft besides 5 non teachings administration staff. We propose to have 100 children under residential care in next five years. As speech and language development is most important for early disabled child specially the multiple ones, we are in process of strengthen our speech and hearing centre with modern equipments. So far we have been able to integrate eleven special children in normal school.

2. Home Training through Center based Instruction Model :

In this model the child, parent and caregivers visit the centre periodically, receive orientation training and tips to facilitate the skill training programme at home.

3. Home Based Training Programme :

When a child cannot reach school, education has to reach him or her for the simple reason that he/she has the right to appropriate education. There are a large number of children with multiple disabilities who are unable to reach schools due to practical difficulties. Considering this problem we have adopted a model �Itinerant Teaching� where the rehabilitation professionals, special educators visit homes periodically and train the parents and caregivers.

4. Assessment Clinic :

The Institute has started a clinic for assessment of any disabled who comes to us and guide him/her till he/she is rehabilitated in the society. This is very important because parents having disabled children are unable to have full assessment of their children and receive guidance from time to time for upliftment of their children. Even the medical colleges in the state do not have such facilities. We have started this clinic with the help of Orthopedics Surgeon, ENT specialist, and other paramedical professionals. Mamanta Clinic, situated in Sahid Nagar has been kind enough to provide space and equipments for us once in a week (Sunday). We have assessed so far nearly 200- disabled persons/children of various category and made them walk with crutches, wheel chairs and read and write in Braille and speak in language of sign. We hope to have our institution when we will have our own building. We are in process of requesting philanthropic organizations for their kind donations to establish a fully equipped assessment centre.

5. Awareness Programme for Public Education :

Public education, awareness and attitude are more crucial than any other input for promotion of social development programs. Lack of right attitude in the society about the persons with disabilities, lack of awareness about their potentialities and absence of information as to what all could and should be done about them has been the main reason for slow growth of rehabilitation services in the field of handicapped welfare.

The Institute is organizing various programmes since inception to give proper education to the general public in the society to get rid of the superstition and remove ignorance about disability. We have brought out many books in Oriya particularly a guide book, �AKHYAMA APARAGA NUHEN� (Disability is not Inability), explaining different kinds of disabilities, the treatment available, the facilities extended by the State Government and Central Government and other voluntary organization in the field of rehabilitation of the disability. A Booked about Prevention of Disability and a guide book for the parents of the children with multiple disabilities (deaf with blind) have also been published for free distribution of needy parents.

Presently we are implementing, the Awareness-cum-Training Packages in Disability in collaboration with IGNOU & Rehabilitation Council of India, New Delhi for the parents & family members of the children with disabilities. The primary objectives of these packages is to promote the all-round development of the children and enable their integration and inclusion in the home, the school and the community.

6. Celebration of International Day for the Disabled :

We have been celebrating the International Day for the Disabled every year on 3rd December, since inception of the institute. Under this programme we discuss pros and cons about disability, its prevention, care of the disabled children, distribute aids and appliances to the disabled, felicitate outstanding disabled persons in the State, distribute folding sticks tape recorders to the blind, hearing aids to the hearing impaired and tricycles and wheel chairs to the orthopedically handicapped. Braille Books to the institutions affected by natural calamities is also supplied.

We have conducted Sports, Arts competition for the disabled children all over the State and distribute prizes to them on the occasion.

We train up college and school students, community leaders about disability, its prevention and facilities extended by Government so that they can help the beneficiaries in their villages and their parents.