In News: For the overall empowerment of Divyangjan, a Regional Conference on Deendayal Disabled Rehabilitation Scheme (DDRS) was organized by the Dept. of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
Deendayal Disabled Rehabilitation Scheme (DDRS)
- The umbrella Central Sector Scheme called the Scheme to Promote Voluntary Action for Persons with Disability was revised in 2003 and was renamed as the DDRS.
- The approach of this Scheme is to provide financial assistance to voluntary organizations to make available the whole range of services necessary for rehabilitation of PwD.
- The recommendation from the District Social Welfare Officer and State Government is required in release of grant-in-aid to NGOs.
- The list of model projects which have been optimized, includes, Pre-Schools, Early Intervention and Training; Special Schools for:
- Persons with Intellectual Disabilities
- Hearing and Speech Disabilities
- Visual Disabilities
- Project for Cerebral Palsied children
- Rehabilitation of Leprosy cured persons
- Halfway Home for psycho-Social Rehabilitation of treated and controlled mentally ill persons
- Home based Rehabilitation and Home Management etc.
The objectives of the scheme are:
- To create an enabling environment to ensure equal opportunities, equity, social justice and empowerment of persons with disabilities.
- To encourage voluntary action for ensuring effective implementation of the People with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities and Protection of Rights) Act of 1995.
Approach and Strategy:
- The approach of this Scheme is to provide financial assistance to voluntary organizations to make available the whole range of services necessary for rehabilitation of persons with disabilities including early intervention, development of daily living skills, education, skill-development oriented towards employability, training and awareness generation.
- With a view to inclusion of persons with disabilities in the mainstream of society and actualizing their potential, the thrust would be on education and training programmes.
In order to achieve the objectives of the scheme provide key strategies will be as bellow
- To enhance educational opportunities at all levels and in all forms and enlarge the scope of vocational and professional opportunities, income generation and gainful occupations.
- To support all such measures as may be necessary for promoting formal as well as non formal employment and placement opportunities.
- To implement outreach and comprehensive Community Based Rehabilitation programmes in urban and rural environments.
- To support manpower development activities to train required personnel at different levels for all programmes/ projects/activities for persons with disabilities.
- To support the development, publication and dissemination of information, documentation and training materials.
- To set up well equipped resource centres at different levels. To promote and support the development of self-help groups, parent organizations and independent living.
- To encourage coordination, cooperation and networking and multi-sectoral linkages.
- To support people with disabilities in projects which are environment friendly and eco-promotive.
- To support construction and maintenance of buildings, provision of furniture and fixtures and installation and maintenance of machinery and equipment.
- To establish and support facilities for sport, recreation, leisure-time activities, excursions, creative and performing arts, cultural and socially inclusive activities.
- To support and facilitate the availability of appropriate housing, homes and hostel facilities.
- To support the conduct of surveys and other forms of epidemiological studies.
- To promote research in various development areas, innovative strategies, assistive devices and enabling technologies and support production of such devices ensuring quality control.
- To support efforts to ensure protection of human, civil and consumer rights of persons with disabilities.
- To support legal literacy, including legal counseling, legal aid and analysis and evaluation of existing laws.
- To support such other measures, which may meet the needs of the persons with disability and fulfill the obligations as prescribed in the People with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities and Protection of Rights) Act of 1995.
Impact
- Under the scheme, every year more than 600 NGOs are provided with financial assistance for running their projects for the rehabilitation of PwD.
- The NGOs being funded are catering the rehabilitative services to more than 35000 to 40000 beneficiaries every year.
