Profile of Institutions
Aawhan Palak Sangh
"AAWHAN", in Marathi means 'challenge' and what could be a greater challenge thrown by destiny than training up a Special Child. 'Aawhan Palak Sangh' situated at Mahim, Mumbai is an institution of parents of mentally challenged girls who believe that "Unity is strength". What has brought them together is their common need to keep their special ones fruitfully busy, thereby making them productive members of society.
Birth of the Institution
After the age of 18, a special child is transferred to a vocational centre or a sheltered workshop. But. such workshops are limited in numbers. To meet this shortcoming a group of mothers, with courage in their hearts and dreams in their eyes for their daughters, got themselves registered as an institution and began work in a modest place; work that would provide their daughters with social interaction, teach them routine and discipline and most important, inculcate in them self-esteem.
Objectives and Activities
The primary objective of the institution is to keep the girls constructively busy in a safe, secure and happy environment.
This is carried out through various activities taught to the girls like handicrafts, making flours (for Chaklis, thalipith and ambolies), chutneys and spices etc. Making greeting cards, decorative envelopes and diyas helps satisfy their creative urges.
The festive reason has the girls and their parents very busy making greeting cards, gift articles etc. and selling them at exhibitions. This annual activity not only fetches the girls a monthly stipend and Diwali bonus but gives a tremendous boost of their self-esteem. They are extremely proud of their earnings and have several plans about how to spend them and to give gifts from their well-deserved earnings.
The institution is open on all days from 1 pm to 4pm, except Saturdays and Sundays. And, although the activities carried out are more suitable for girls, they are open to boys also. At present, there are twenty confident girls (above 18 years) aided by parents, and volunteers (mostly ladies) who have come forward to teach them some creative pursuit. Movies and picnics are a hot favourite with the girls.
All in all, "Aawhan Palak Sangh' is an institution, which, though born out of need, has developed into a fine rehabilitation centre. It has also proved beyond doubt that Empowerment of parents is a must.
Address:
Kot Wadi (Ground Floor), Padmabai Thakur Marg,
Near Indravadan Society, Kasarvadi,
Mahim, Mumbai 400 016.
Timing: 1 pm - 4 pm, Monday - Friday
Contact :
Vandana Karve 2433-1285
Shaila Kulkarni 2430-3140
Hema Chougule (95250) 586-2108
Amar Seva Sangam
Amar Seva Sangam - NGO for the disabled (including mentally retarded) working from a small village, Ayikudi, in Tamil Nadu. This is run by their resident, Mr. S. Ramakrishnan, a quadriplegic person who is on the wheel chair for over 30 years because of a spinal injury and Mr. Sankara Raman, Secretary, a person afflicted with muscular dystrophy.
Contact:
S. Sankara Raman, Hon. Secretary, 7-4,104B,
Tenkasi Road, Ayikudy-627852.
Phone:
09361011585, 09944454170
Email:
mail@amarseva.org
sankara_raman@amarseva.org
Website:
www.amarseva.org
The Anchorage
The Anchorage is a workplace for mentally challenged adults. We run as a Parent Cooperative where each parent/caregiver puts in half a day of voluntary work in a week.
The 23 adults who come everyday from 9.30 am to 4.30 pm, well groomed and clean, perceive themselves as office going individuals. They are trained to complete industrial job work efficiently and effectively.
Job contracts range from assembling electrical switches, packaging of various hotel housekeeping products to making of Indian flags and paper bags.
A host of developmental activities complement job work in fulfilling our vision of a quality life for our Adults.
Admission criteria
Open to all adults with mental retardation as long as they are mobile, reasonably fit and independently able to use the toilet. There is no exit policy.
ASHA - Academy For Severe Handicaps And Autism
Address:
L- 76/ A HBCS Kirloskar Colony, III stage, IV Block,
Basaweswarnagar, Bangalore-560079.
ASHA also has an Early intervention Centre for children with developmental Disabilities at
294, 5th Main , Mahalaxmi Layout, Bangalore - 560086.
Tel:
(080)2359-8517, 3225279, 23230357
Email:
info@ashaforautism.com
Website:
www.ashaforautism.com
Blind Men's Association
The Blind Men's Association a registered voluntary charitable organisation, has been working since October 1947 for the betterment of blind individuals residing in city and suburbs of Mumbai and adjoining areas. The Association is catering to the needs of non institutionalised blind persons. The main activities of the association are as under:
Educational Assistance: The Association gives financial assistance to the blind college going students as well as able bodied children of blind parents who do not have substantial income.
Free distribution of Educational Material: Under this project the school going sighted children upto 4th std of blind parents from lower income group are provided with educational material e.g. school bags, note books, pencils, lunch boxes, water bags etc.
Medical Assistance: The Association conducts Health camps from time to time and gives medicines to needy blind patients.
Help the Aged Scheme: Homebound, infirm and destitute blind senior citizens above the age of 55 are given monthly assistance in kind
House Repair Scheme: Under this scheme the Association helps needy blind persons residing in dilapidated Dwelling Units.
Self Employment Project: The Association provide things such as Agarbatties, personal weighing scales, long exercise books, cutlery etc. to those enterprising blind persons who would like to undertake a self employment venture to earn their livelihood.
Financial/other Assistance:
Recreational Programmes: The Association organises annual picnic for the members and their families. It also arranges social gatherings, musical programmes, dramas etc. for the entertainment of the sightless.
Equipment Bank for the Blind: BMA has set up an E.B. for the blind where aids and appliances like folding canes, braille writing devices, braille wrist watches, and many other things which are of utmost use by the blind are provided at a 50% subsidized cost. This is the only equipment bank of its kind in Maharashtra.
Counselling Services: The Association has been conducting counselling service to the people who become blind over a period of time. Counselling is given to home bound visually impaired persons and their family members for the socio/ economic rehabilitation.
Donations given to the Blind Men's Association Mumbai, above Rs.250/- are exempted under Section 80-G of the Income Tax Act of 1961.
For details contact :
Mr. Suhas Karnik, Hon. Gen. Secretary
Phone : 2567-8416
Deeds - Development Education Empowerment of The Disadvantaged In Society
Make a Better World (Public Charitable Trust Reg. No E20961 Mumbai.)Deeds public charitable trust is supporting the cause of the 'Hearing Handicapped'. It functions as a resource mobilization centre and a financial arm of all the charities & schools that work towards the benefit of this cause.
Its vision is to enrich the lives of 10,000 deaf by the end of this decade, the objective being to make the deaf financially self- reliant & contributors in mainstream society. In pursuance of this goal, Deeds has outlined three areas of focus which are:
- Imparting free education to the deaf from the pre-primary level to standard X.
- Setting up vocational training in various skills for the deaf.
- Job placements for the deaf.
Deeds organises seminars on the Different approaches/ philosophies of communication in the Deaf world.
Zubin Bulsara, General Manager- Operations
Deeds Public Charitable Trust
Turning disabilities into abilities
Research & Co-ordination Centre:
8, Bajaj Arcade, 31, Union Park,
Khar (W), Mumbai-400052.
Tel : 26005083 / 84
Email : humanity@deeds-india.com
Website : www.deeds-india.com
Dilkhush Special School
Dilkhush Special School is a school established in 1971 for children with a mental handicap. It has around 100 children from 6-18 years of age and with varying degrees of Mental Handicap yet within the mild and moderate range along with a few who are also severely handicapped. They do not charge fees.
The school has 11 classes which range from KG to seniors but these are totally different in nature from the classes in a 'normal' school. They also have two non-academic classes where children who are going to leave school are sent so that they are trained in some vocational skill. Students can stay till the age of 20.
Dilkhush school makes Individualised Education plans so every child is treated as an individual and taught at his/her own pace though in a class situation. In academics a lot of emphasis is on Functional Academics- studies related to life, and they also do a lot to teach socially acceptable behaviour to the students
Like most schools, they have singing, and sports and art classes. They also take students on field trips and have at least an overnight picnic for them.
The school does not have a full time speech, or occupational therapist because it believes that after a child has been assessed, the best person to help the child is the class teacher who is also trained to carry out therapy in class. Each class has a Special Educator, having a Diploma in Special Education (MR) recognised by the Rehabilitation Council of India.
Volunteers are welcome to:
- play with the children
- help individual children with their class work
- offer their time and talents
Dilkhush Special School
Juhu Road, Opp. Palm Grove Hotel,
Juhu, Mumbai 400049
Tel: 26151304,
Fax: 26188688
Email: dilkhushjuhu@yahoo.com
Attn: Sr. Noella Pereira, Principal.
Enable India
Enable India, founded by Shanti Raghavan educates and trains persons with disabilities. This organisation also prepares them to join the mainstream workforce as confident individuals.
Details- www.enable-india.org
FOD - Family of the Disabled
Family of Disabled (FOD) is a voluntary organisation working for the welfare of people with disabilities since 1992. Its founder-coordinator himself, is a person with quadriplegia (paralysis of all four limbs)
and is leading a bed-ridden life for the past 19 years.
Though life hasn't been easy and comfortable for him as he himself is totally dependent on others, he has devoted his life to better the lives of disabled brethren through an assortment of projects, with major focus on the economic rehabilitation of poor, illiterate and unskilled disabled people i.e. extending them financial, physical and moral support so that they can launch a micro trade of their choice and earn a livelihood. Through Apna Rozgaar Scheme, he has enabled 242 disabled individuals and their families to live an independent and financially secure life.
FOD publishes country's first magazine on disability, The Voice. since its inception, which has been able to capture the interest of masses and professional alike.
The organization also promotes artists with disabilities through different avenues like organizing national level painting exhibitions, translating their work into greeting cards, etc.
FOD arranges aids and appliances like tricycle, wheelchair, sewing machine, hearing aids, crutches, walking sticks, ortheses and prostheses for those disabled people who cannot afford them.
He has been coordinating all these activities fromhis bed itself and has received numerous awards for his outstanding selfless services to the people with disabilities.
Preeti Johar, Sr. Executive
Family Of Disabled
B-1/500, Janakpuri, New Delhi- 110058 (India)
e-mail:
reeti.johar@familyofdisabled.org
web:
www.familyofdisabled.org
Tel:
91-11-2559 7328, 98117-92505 (M)
Helpers of the Handicapped
Helpers of the Handicapped, Kolhapur, is founded by Naseema Hurzuk.
For profile log on to www.hohk.org
Helen Keller Institute for Deaf and Deafblind
This Institution was started in1977 with the very idea to serve the severest handicapped groups of deaf children with an additional disability and, the deafblind, multiplly-handicapped child to whom no services existed in the past.
They have 3 centres
1. Mahape, Mumbai (022-27782214)
Here they have early intervention, yoga, dancing, counselling centre, hostel facilities for children, diploma course in deafblind education, vocational training unit besides other facilities .
2. Byculla (022 - 23019215)
Here they have M.A. Rangoonwala computerised mini Braille Press.
3. Chembur (022-65712472)
Here they have a vocational unit for Deaf Youths having income generating activities.
For further details contact -
Mrs. Beroze Vacha
- (022) 2308-7052, (022) 2301-9215
Mr. N.U. Nayak
-2778-1226, 2778-2193.
www.helenkellerdb-mumbai.org
GODS MBA Foundation
They have Day Care centres, Life Care centres. They run Executive training, Early childhood Intervention and pre-schooling & National Open School coaching for 10th & 12th.
Address:
God's Heavens, Crystal palace complex,
Rambaug, Powai, Mumbai-400072.
Tel: 2857-6972, 2523- 4752
Email: lifecare.disabled@gmail.com
Website: www.lifecare-disabled.org
Karmayog
Karmayog is a free platform linking individuals and corporates with Indian nonprofits. Volunteers, donors and sponsors can use it to get in touch with Nonprofits, NGOs and charities
For details contact :
www.karmayog.org
Koshish
KOSHISH - Centre for the Care of Deaf first of its kind in India. provides free education, hearing aids and vocational courses to 116 deaf children from low income group from its 20,000 sq. ft building. Centre has modern art gallery available free of charge to any handicap artist anywhere from India, besides up-to-date hearing aid section, audiology, speech therapy, child behavioural and mental trauma counselling departments. We require sponsers to provide education of one deaf child for one year by contributing Rs. 4,000 and donate one hearing for Rs. 11,000 only.
Location:
D.B. Lane, Off. Daftary Road,
Malad East, Mumbai 400 097
For details contact:
Ajay Kothari, Mg. Trustee,
Tel : 28446448 / 28834629
Khushi- A Centre for Children with Autism
Khushi is a centre for children with Autism or autism with any other developmental disability like cerebral palsy, fragile X, mental retardation or learning disability started by Dr. Reena Singh-an occupational Therapist.
Contact-
A/1,Raj Mahal Apartments,
Service Road, Jogeshwari (East)
Near Rajaram garden (BMC garden)
Mumbai -400060
Email: info@khushi.net.in
Phone: +91 (0) 98195 61468, 022 28321661
Khushi's Vision
- Intensive early intervention for autistic kids from aware parents and trained therapists who deal with Autism.
- Acceptance of the teenage autistics by the society and independence in all the self help areas.
- Independence and employment of the autistic adult in the community. Residential set up and employment in a vocational center for the low functioning adult autistic.
Khushi's Mission
To integrate autistic kids in a normal school and be accepted by the community.
For more information log on to www.khushi.net.in
LIFE
LIFE is a Public Charitable Trust (NGO), initiating, conducting, managing and supporting various social projects in Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore . LIFE projects primarily revolve around Education, which is been addressed with non-formal and creative reaching aids for the lesser privileged students/ children/ community. LIFE primarily works with BMC schools and also with organizations for Special Children (physically and mentally challenged)
LIFE is also looking out for donors who can contribute for this joyful event in the way they want to -monetary help, donating time - volunteer for the event or sharing the spirits to keep up the smiles on face of every child.
LIFE Trust-Poonam Lalvani
Address:
B-1, Neelam Center, S.K. Ahire Marg, Near Glaxo,
Worli, Mumbai - 400 025
Phone Nos.:
022-24910287, 022-24910288
Telefax:
022-24910285
Email:
lifetrust@hathway.com
Website:
www.lifetrustindia.org
SNEHALAYA SPECIAL SCHOOL
Snehalaya team is committed to the needs of the poor and marginalized especially the mentally and physically handicapped, who require constant attention due to their differing behavioral patterns and a helping hand in their day to day activities. At present they look after around thirty special children and help them in developing their mannerism, spoken language, behavior patterns etc, mould them to face the world as individuals and grow as a person.
Rita Carvalho, Director
SNEHALAYA SPECIAL SCHOOL
CLASSIC COUNTY Row House 18,
Opp old petrol pump,Mira Bhayandar Road.
Email :
carrita2002000@yahoo.co.in
carrita2002000@rediffmail.com
Tel :
91 22 - 2813 22 66
Cell :
91 22- 9892112707
S.P.J. Sadhana School
Ever since its inception, over 31 years ago, the S.P.J. Sadhana School has worked ceaselessly toward helping the mentally challenged individual, not only to learn to adjust to the world around, but more : to become a useful member of the human community, independent and self sufficient, with a contribution to make to society.
A highly trained team of teachers and professionally qualified therapists each of whom has hands on experience in the field, look at other aspects of mental retardation, such as the benefits of nurturing the special talents each individual manifests and encouraging the student to work on them. For it has been found that given what they like doing, they perform well. Arising out of such challenges, special teaching strategies and unorthodox technologies are developed and are constantly reviewed and upgraded. The goal is to transfer as much learning as possible, to make the learning process enjoyable to molding it to the individual student's needs and to elicit the maximum satisfaction from it, both to the teacher and the taught. Years of such experience have crystallized into a five-year vocational course which, while tapping a trainee's special gift and fostering it, aims to equip that student to be launched into a self-reliant and productive life. The course covers training in art and crafts, tailoring, fast food cookery, and office skills. Concurrently, during these years of training, equal stress is laid upon employment criteria: correct behaviour in work situation, communication and self-help skills. All this is towards the end of placing the student in a compatible work situation.
Contact:
Sr, E. Gaitonde, Principal
S.P.J. Sadhana School for the Developmentally Challenged,
Dr. Rosendo Ribeiro Complex
Sophia College Campus
Bhulabhai Desai Road
Mumbai 400 026
Tel: 23510853/23517913