Heal With a Touch

Abstract

This case is about a recreational club for the blind which started when a group of blind people got together and later established it as an association. Over the years, this small club evolved into a large multi-facet agency, an NGO (non-governmental organisation), that provided a wide gamut of services from prevention, education, counselling, rehabilitation and employment of people with multiple disabilities. The NGO believed that all people with disabilities have the right to education, equal opportunity, employment, inclusion and the same quality of life as their non-disabled counterparts. The mission was to provide appropriate education, intervention and training, which would lead to awareness, empowerment and employment of people with disabilities with the help and support of trained staff and caregivers, and take measures for prevention, cure and mitigation of disabling conditions. All these measures were undertaken with the co-operation of families, communities and other stakeholders. The prime focus of the association when it began was to serve blind people only. But, keeping in mind that schools of this kind catered to the needs of people with specific disabilities only, those with multiple disabilities could not avail themselves of such services. Therefore, the association came up with the idea to start a unit for people with multiple disabilities which looked into their needs and requirements. The vision of the organisation was that all people with any kind of disability should get access to individual need based services as a matter of right, should have a good quality of life and be an indivisible element of their communities and nation. No stone should be left unturned to fulfill this vision.