The National Handicapped Finance and Development Corporation (NHFDC) is a wholly owned company by Government of India. NHFDC functions as an Apex institution for extending financial support for education, employment and entrepreneurship of the persons with disabilities through the State Channelizing Agencies (SCAs) nominated by the State Government(s). Prominent schemes being implemented by NHFDC are given below in brief:
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Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India, popularly known as ALIMCO, a Schedule “C” Central Public Sector Enterprise, was set up in 1972 under Section 8 of the Companies Act, 2013. With 100% shareholding of the Corporation, in the name of Hon’ble President of India, the Authorized Capital and Paid up Capital as on 31.03.2014 were Rs. 300.00 lakhs and Rs. 196.50 lakhs respectively. It is a ‘Not for Profit’ motive company working for the past 42 years, for the noble cause of manufacturing various types of most cost effective ISI marked Assistive Devices, on mass scale. Besides, ALIMCO has been distributing these Assistive Devices for empowering and restoring the dignity of the Persons with Disabilities to cater to Orthopedic Impairment, Hearing Impairment, Visual Impairment and Intellectual Development across the length and breadth of the country, covering all States and Union Territories, under various Government Schemes, CSR Projects of Corporate Sector, utilization of MP LAD Funds, State Governments, National Institutes, Dealer Network, NGOs etc. The Corporation has served around 43 lakhs PwDs so far and is currently serving around 1.5 lakhs PwDs every year, on an average.
The Ali Yavar Jung National Institute for the Hearing Handicapped was established on 9th August, 1983 under the Societies Registration Act, 1860. The Institute has been established for manpower development, research, clinical and therapeutic services, outreach and extension services for the persons with hearing disabilities.
The Institute is responsible for development of manpower by undertaking or sponsoring the training of trainees and teachers, employment officers, psychologists, vocational counselors and such other personnel as may be deemed necessary by the Institute for promoting the education, training or rehabilitation of the hearing handicapped. The Institute sponsors, coordinates and subsidizes research into all aspects of the education and rehabilitation of the hearing handicapped. It is also developing model services for rehabilitation of the hearing handicapped.
The Government has set up this new Institute at the total project cost of Rs.61.90 crores comprising of land cost of Rs.39.20 crores (notional), non-recurring cost of Rs.18.10 crores and a recurring cost of Rs. 4.60 crores. Government of Tamil Nadu has provided the land for this Institute. Government of India is providing the financial support for construction of the building of the Institute and other activities. The Institute has started clinical services and short-term training programmes for caregivers from July 2005.
NIRTAR, originally, started as an adjunct Unit of ALIMCO, Kanpur, NIRTAR was registered in 1984 under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 as a National Institute. The aims and objectives of the Institute are human resources development, implementation of service delivery programmes, research and outreach programmes.
It undertakes, sponsors or coordinates training for rehabilitation personnel and conducts research on bio-medical engineering and surgical or medical subjects for orthopaedically handicapped. The Institute produces and distributes aids and appliances. It develops models of service delivery programmes for rehabilitation. NIRTAR also undertakes vocational training, placement and rehabilitation of the physically handicapped.
National Institute for the Orthopaedically Handicapped was established in Kolkata in the year 1978. It was registered in April, 1982, under the Societies Registration Act, 1860. The mission of the Institute is to develop human resources for providing rehabilitation services to persons with locomotor disabilities, providing of services in rehabilitation, restorative surgery, aids/appliances etc.
The Institute is responsible for development of manpower for providing services, namely, training of physiotherapists, occupational therapists, orthotics and prosthetic technicians, employment and placement officers etc. NIOH also develops model services in the areas of restorative surgery, aids and appliances, vocational training etc. for the orthopaedically handicapped population. It conducts and sponsors research in all aspects, relating to the total rehabilitation of the orthopaedically handicapped people and is involved with standardizing aids and appliances for the orthopaedically handicapped and promoting their manufacture and distribution.
The National Centre for the Blind was upgraded as National Institute for Visually Handicapped in July, 1979. It was registered as an autonomous Institution under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 in October, 1982. The objective of the Institute is to conduct, sponsor and coordinate all aspects of education for rehabilitation of persons with visual disabilities and coordinate research in these areas. The Institutes also assisted in running a Composite Regional Centre (CRC) for persons with disabilities at Sundernagar in Himachal Pradesh.
This apex level Institute is engaged in education, vocational training, training of teachers and other personnel, research and development of service modules, production of Braille books, aids and appliances for the visually handicapped.
The Office of the Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities has been set up under Section 57 of the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights & Full Participation) Act, 1995 and has been mandated to take steps to safeguard the rights of persons with disabilities.
The Rehabilitation Council India was constituted for regulating and monitoring the training of Rehabilitation professionals and personnel, promoting research in rehabilitation and special education, the maintenance of a Central Rehabilitation Register and related matters.
The Institute was registered in the year 1984 under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 as an autonomous body under the administrative control of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. The Institute has been established with the objective to prepare human resources equipped to deliver services through quality models of rehabilitation, based on life cycle needs.
The National Institute for the Mentally Handicapped (NIMH) is committed to develop models of care for the mentally handicapped persons, conduct research in the area of mental handicap, and promote human resource development to work with mentally handicapped persons in the country.
The main objectives of the National Trust are to enable and empower persons with disabilities to live as independently and as fully as possible, to extend support to registered organisations providing need based services, and to evolve procedure for appointment of legal guardians for persons with disabilities requiring such protection. The Government of India has provided Rs.100 crores toward the corpus of the Trust. The income generated from the corpus is utilized to implement its programmes.
The State Nodal Agency Centres (SNACs) provide coordination assistance at the State level to enable the National Trust to implement its programmes, disseminate information and train parents and professionals. The SNACs function as Information Centres, facilitators, project mentors, training centers, LLC activators and networkers.
The Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Institute for the Physically Handicapped (IPH), New Delhi was set up on 12th November, 1976 under the Societies Registration Act, 1860. The major objective of the Institute is to develop trained manpower for rehabilitation of persons with orthopaedically disabled persons, provide outreach services and research.
The Institute offers education, training, work-adjustment and such other rehabilitative services as the society may deem fit to orthopaedically handicapped persons with associated mental retardation or such other associated handicaps as are not considered incompatible with the development of a harmonious educational, training or workshop programme. IPH also undertakes the training of physiotherapists and occupational therapists. Besides it has a facility for manufacture and distribution of such aids and appliances as are needed for the education, training and rehabilitation of the handicapped.
The Directory of Aids and Assistive Devices for Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) is an online repository of information built as a result of an initiative of the Department of Disability Affairs under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India to collate exhaustive resources around assistive technology on a single platform.
The Department of Disability affairs came into being in 2012 to give a focussed attention to the needs of the PwDs. In addition to running seven National Institutes dealing with different types of disabilities and seven Composite Regional Centres (CRCs), the Government supports through rehabilitation services to PwDs and runs courses for and funds the NGOs similar initiatives.
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To overcome the lack of adequate facilities for rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities, the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment has set up seven Composite Regional Centres for Persons with Disabilities at Srinagar (J&K), Sundernagar (Himachal Pradesh), Lucknow (U.P.), Bhopal (M.P.), Guwahati (Assam), Patna (Bihar), Ahmedabad (Gujarat) and Kozhikode (Kerala) to provide both preventive and promotional aspects of rehabilitation like education, health, employment and vocational training, research and manpower development, rehabilitation for persons with disabilities etc.
As per the 2011 Census, hearing handicapped persons numbered about 50 lakh of the total population of the country. The needs of the deaf community have long been ignored and the problems have been documented by various organizations working for the deaf. Obsolete training methodology and teaching systems need urgent attention.
Indian Sign Language is used in the deaf community all over India. The deaf community in India is basically an urban community, where deaf people come together in educational institutions, deaf clubs and associations, and social gatherings. In rural areas, deaf people are usually isolated from each other and have no or little access to any sign language. Therefore, the use of Indian Sign Language is currently concentrated in towns and cities. It remains a major challenge to provide access to Indian Sign language for deaf people in rural areas.
Ministry has approved establishment of ISLRTC by integrating it with the Regional Centre of AYJNIHH at New Delhi vide order dated 20.4.2015.
The Indian Spinal Injury Centre (ISIC), New Delhi, a Non-government Organisation, provides comprehensive rehabilitation management services to patients with spinal cord injuries and related ailments. These include intervention in the form of reconstructive surgery, stabilization operations, physical rehabilitation, psycho-social rehabilitation and vocational rehabilitation services.
The Government supports the ISIC to provide 25 free beds daily for treatment of poor patients. Besides, the Centre provides 5 free beds to such patients.
In the year 1985-86, the erstwhile Ministry of Welfare was bifurcated into the Department of Women and Child Development and the Department of Welfare. Simultaneously, the Scheduled Castes Development Division, Tribal Development Division and the Minorities and Backward Classes Welfare Division were moved from the Ministry of Home Affairs and also the Wakf Division from the Ministry of Law to form the then Ministry of Welfare.
The National Voter Service Portal (NVSP) was launched on 25th January 2015 on the occasion of National Voters’ Day by Hon’ble Former President of India Dr. Abdul Kalam. With the aim to provide single window services to electors, NVSP has been made available from ECI website www.eci.nic.in. Users can visit the website and click on to NVSP link to avail the services.
Various services being offered through NVSP are
1. Search the name in Electoral List.
2. Apply on line in English/ Hindi Language for new registration.
3. Apply online for corrections, if any.
4. User can view details of his Polling booth, Assembly Constituency and Parliamentary constituency.
5. User can get the contact details of Booth Level officer, Electoral Registration Officer and other Election officer.
6. Users can feed Aadhaar Number for attaching it with Election Photo Identity Card (EPIC) data
7. Users can get link to CEO offices websites
8. Users can view audio visual short films to get educated about election processes.
9. Audio Visual scripts are also available for getting to know about the polling processes.
10. Users can watch a short educational film on Electronic Voting Machine(EVM)
Year 2015 has been marked for “ easy registration and easy correction ” During this year, ECI will endeavour to put in efforts in providing all possible support services to electors with the help of IT tools. NVSP is one of them.
The last date for submission of applications for Pre-matric, Post-matric and Scholarship for Top Class Education by the students with Disbilities is 31st October, 2015. To apply online
Please Visit : https://www.scholarships.gov.in
