Margadarshi was started in 1988 by Mr.N.G.Hegde, whose sister was affected by polio. In his quest to do something for challenged people, joined hands with like minded people, who themselves were polio victims. Margadarshi means showing the way. Our main purpose is to help and support the most vulnerable groups of challenged persons towards their physical, social psychological and economic well-being. We work in Bangalore and Community Based Rehabilitation project in 5 Blocks i.e., Kollegala, Hanur, Chamarajanagara, Gundlupet, Yelandur of Chamarajanagar District, Karnataka. We have 2 offices in Bengaluru. Two in our project area ie., in Hanur and Chamrajanagara. We reach 5,000 people with disability (direct and indirect) in a year through a range of services from Early Intervention, Medical Rehabilitation, Residential Support, Educational Support, Livelihood Training, Counseling & Guidance.
COMMUNITY BASED REHABILITATION PROJECT :
Community-based rehabilitation (CBR) focuses on enhancing the life quality for people with disabilities (PWDs) and their families, meeting basic needs,ensuring inclusion and participation. It is a multi-sectoral strategy that empowers PWDs to access and benefit from education, employment, health and social services. CBR is implemented through the combined efforts of PWDs, their families & communities, relevant government and non-government sectors involved in health, education, vocational, social and other services.
Project theme is 'District level initiative through Right Based Approach'. Based on this, our activities are divided into 4 categories.
I. Medical Rehabilitation & Early identification / intervention.
II. EducationalSupport
III. Empowerment & Social Rehabilitation of People with Disabilities.
IV. To create platform for livelihood opportunities and build linkages to initiate livelihood.
Main purpose of the project is to provide social, medical, educational, livelihood rehabilitation making use of available resources in the State, like human, technical, financial resources. The expected outcome is that the People with disabilities should be main streamed in holistic comprehensive inclusions in all stages, all aspects and in all sectors like decision making, participations, planning, implementations and monitoring.
For more details on our work please visit our website www.margadarshionline.org and Margadarshi Activities video link is: https://youtu.be/HTKrZlIvfiIEarly Intervention: Due to lack of awareness, lack of medical facilities, poverty and ignorance the disability is neglected at birth and in early stages. Without care and support at this early stage, children with disability will suffer irreversible damage when they grow up. Children with all types of disability are at risk of delayed development, such children are identified to have access to early intervention and rehabilitation services, which contributes to their overall growth and development, prevent secondary disability and have possibility of inclusion and participation in the society.
Residential care and Empowerment of girls and women with disability: The situation of Physically Challenged Girls is quite severe due to neglect by the family, lack of support, lack of integration at all levels in the society including that of education, medical, vocational and employment support services. When they belong to poor families the condition is further worsened and totally neglected. Realising this special need Margadarshi has provided home for the physically challenged girls – from this home they are supported for their education and vocational training services in addition to grooming them to develop leadership and life skills.
Educational support services to challenged students: Due to lack of awareness, poverty, and structural barrier many physically challenged children are left out of school. They are often considered not fit for education. On the contrary, it is only the education which can help them overcome the challenges imposed by their physical conditions. To encourage the education of those who are physically challenged in addition being socially and economically backward, Margadarshi is continuously engaged to support such children by putting them back into the mainstream education system through counselling, scholarship, and other required support services.
Livelihood Rehabilitation: Kollegal which comes under Chamrajnagar District has 82.86% of population who lives in rural areas as against the state average of 69%. Nearly 65% of total working population is dependent on agriculture, either as cultivators or as agriculture labourers. In this among the productive age group of 18-30 years 3200 people are with disability. There is misconception in the community that a person with disability cannot work. Margadarshi dispels this misconception and concentrates only on the ability of a person. We do this by providing Entrepreneur Development Program (EDP) training, Computer Training, Handicrafts skills, capacity building of the potential employees / employers on rights based approach to promote a work culture that values diversity, so that a person with disability becomes financially independent, helping him to lead a normal life. To lead dignified life Margadarshi builds confidence of PWD’s through forming and strengthening of Self Help Groups.
Medical rehabilitation of persons with disability: Over 8% of India’s population are people with disabilities. Around 55% of PWD become absolutely immobile and dependent on others. Most of them come from very poor families or low socio-economic background. They are either treated with sympathy or pity or ignored and neglected. They do not get access to any Education, Training or Livelihood opportunities. Either they suffer premature deaths or continue to remain as a burden to community/society. Margadarshi identifies such people through camps, awareness programs, etc., and counsels them. Based on the individual needs, surgery, fitting of aids and appliances, training to use them, providing other support services are offered. Through these services the effects of physical disability is minimized and over a period of time they get groomed to become confident and contributing members of the society.
The Association for Physically Challenged (Regd)
# 75/6, Hulkul Complex, Lalbagh Road, Bangalore – 560 027
Social Rehabilitation: Community Based Projects at Kollegal provides Social rehabilitation for person with disabilities making use of available resources in the state like human, technical and financial resources, making accountable & responsible the local bodies and administrations. Earlier the dimensions of disability issues was treated charity, social and medical mood. Now the dimensions is shifting towards developmental, right based, identity, dignity, participations and human rights issue. The main objective of the project is empowerment of PWD’s in sustainable manner the main activities of the project through creating awareness in community elected representatives and bureaucrats to change attitudes, behaviors, prejudices towards PWD’s issues. Collecting proper PWD data to work with government to allocate resources and bring changes in policies. The expected outcomes of project person with disability issue should be in mainstreaming holistic comprehensive inclusions in all stage all aspect and all sectors. Like decisions making, participations, planning, implementations and monitoring.