Intervention for avoidable disability

Summary

Making professional expertise of a multidisciplinary team accessible for children born with disability, or 'at risk' for developmental delay and mothers 'at risk' within the community.

What is the issue, problem, or challenge?

Lack of access to medical care, ignorance, superstition, limited education, malnutrition and inadequate prenatal care in poor communities result in preventable mental handicap. Government facilities though available are inadequate and erratic. Most of our families are daily wageworkers and cannot afford time to seek services. Beneficiaries are families with disabled offspring, all persons and children with disability, their mothers and the general community.

How will this project solve this problem?

Detection of mothers and children "at risk" for developmental delays; to provide intervention to target group of children; to train midwives, health workers, teachers of special education and other professionals in the target community.

Potential Long Term Impact

To ensure that all children in the primary school age group with physical or mental disability have available to them appropriate education designed to meet their unique needs as part of the mainstream education provided by schools.

Project Message

Early intervention in disability is not possible for poor families living in poverty since other priorities have to be met. Providing services accessible within commuting distance works best.
- Pramila Balasundaram, Founder-Director

Additional Documentation

This project has provided additional documentation in a Microsoft Word file (projdoc.doc).

Resources