Educate and Empower the Blind through Technology

SNEHADEEP TRUST FOR THE DISABLED is a non-profit and charitable organization working towards the upliftment and betterment of the differently abled in the areas of education, computer training and soft skills. It also spreads its wings far and wide to include development of the girl child, and education and empowerment of destitute  women in its agenda.

MISSION STATEMENT

To make the differently abled employable, thus bringing them to the main stream and to help them lead a life with dignity and economic independence.

LEADING THE WAY

Snehadeep Trust for the Disabled was established by 3 visually impaired graduates, with a strong will to educate the differently-abled and create opportunities for them. The backbone of the organization is the buoyancy of these three strong-minded men.  The founding trustees are:

Mr. Paul Muddha as its managing trustee. He envisioned the emergence of morally empowered and economically independent students from Snehadeep.

He holds B.A honors from Bangalore University, MA economics from Mysore university and is credited with being the first MBA graduate among the visually challenged in Karnataka. He is working as a Manager in Canara Bank. He is the first visually challenged to get this coveted post.  He has 12 years of experience in social work, especially with the blind and other challenged persons.

Mr. Paul Muddha is the recipient of the National Award  from his Excellency Dr.APJ Abdul kalam in 2004 and State Award received from her Excellency the governor of Karnataka Mrs. Ramadevi in 2002 for his social service.

He has taken youth to America and Europe several times for cultural and educational exchange programmes to provide exposure to the challenged persons.

Mr.K. G. Mohan who holds a B.A and has undergone stenography training to teach the blind is currently working in SBI. He has a rich experience in rehabilitating differently abled persons.

Mr. Sreemann Narayan B.G   (B.Com, M.A in Philosophy, PGDPM in PMBA, BMIR, IOPM, IRLL, EMMHrd and AMIBM). He is working as a senior Labor inspector and conciliation officer for the Government of Karnataka, having hands-on experience as an enforcement officer under various labor laws especially child labor, rehabilitation of drop out child labor and providing security for the working class.

He has received the national award from her excellency smt. Prathibha Patil in 2009

Apart from the trustees, the trust has to its credit many eminent personalities to assist and guide the trust in many of its programmes from time to time.

CURRENT PROGRAMMES

Snehadeep currently provides education to 100 differently abled students under the Integrated Education Programme.

The Free Residential Computer Training Programme to the visually and physically challenged trains 50 students/youths. Under this programme, the students are taught computer training, English communication, leadership qualities, carrier guidance, motivational subjects and confidence building. It  goes one step further to even identify suitable jobs for students according to their aptitude after the completion of the course.

INCORPORATING TECHNOLOGY

Snehadeep is well-versed with JAWS [Job access with speech], a screen reading software that  is used to facilitate the visually challenged to learn computers.

OTHER ACTIVITIES

Snehadeep considers it its moral responsibility to  be a diligent and pervasive support to the specially challenged. It  has conducted several seminars on the burning issues facing them. The recent seminar was on the Disability Act where it recommended 52 amendments to the act through the governor of the state [Karnataka].

Snehadeep also takes initiative to conduct health camps, particularly Eye Check up Camps to better the vision of the blind and instill a ray of hope among them. This year alone, 50 eye operations have been conducted, in addition to providing corrective lenses and vision to 6 students.

ACHIEVEMENTS

Snehadeep has empowered and placed 20 candidates in good jobs in a short span. They consider Snehadeep their Alma Mater and elixir of life.

Organised a seminar on mobility which led to the installation of music bells in traffic signals all over Bangalore leading to better mobility for the visually impaired

Organised a seminar on changes in the Persons with disability act which led to the formation of a new drafting committee for the act which is under consideration for amendment and soon a new act will come in force

Organised hands on training to tackle competitive exams and two students cleared the exam to join State bank of Mysore.

VISION FOR THE FUTURE

So far we have been carrying out all these activities with limited resources and have progressed in providing employment to the trained candidates and educating the children. We are determined to expand  the activities to more number of beneficiaries in the months to come. The primary goal of establishing Snehadeep was to provide food, shelter, education, training & employment for the visually impaired and physically challenged. However it has developed a more comprehensive vision over the years:

1. To create awareness about the needs & abilities of the differently abled through seminars & social events.
2. Setting up placement & vocational training cells
3. Encouraging sports & cultural activities.
4. To expand IED scheme to provide  non-residential services to students to pursue education.
5. In the long-run Snehadeep seeks to become a profit centre only to ensure sustainability.

 TRAINING PROGRAMME FOR VISUALLY CHALLENGED

Snehadeep has an ambitious programme, to reach out to nearly 2000 students all over Karnataka to provide them a wholistic personality development to build their communication, goal setting, assertiveness and decision making skills.

The training programme will look at making the visually challenged students who have just completed their tenth and twelvth standard examinations make a better and informed choice about their future by helping them through career counseling and also increase their leadership skills by helping them form self help groups among themselves.