The District Disability Rehabilitation Centre
The District Disability Rehabilitation Centre (DDRC) is a nation wide program of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Goverment of India. The objective of the program is to provide total rehabilitation to all the persons with disabilities at the District Centre itself. District Centres are being established in collaboration with the state governments by the National Institutes, DRCs and ALIMCO.
According to concept paper on initiating rehabilitation services, it is estimated that in India, 5% or about 50 million persons suffer from some disability. Further, 75% of people live in rural areas and another 15% in small or medium towns where no rehabilitation services have been provided. In other words, about 90% of persons with disabilities live in areas where no rehabilitation services have been provided. Even in the areas/location where services have been provided, the coverage is limited, thereby leaving 95% of disabled not being provided with any services.
One of the biggest challenges, therefore, is providing rehabilitation services to the unreached persons with disabilities living in rural areas and small towns. Accessibility is being increasingly realised as a critical element in the process of rehabilitation. Without barrier free environment and assistive devices, many other services (vocational training, education, placement), lose their effectiveness.
The major rehabilitation services that are expected to be provided through DDRC are:
- Facilitation and provision of Disability Certificates.
- Assessment on the need of assistive devices.
- Provision/Fitment of Assistive Devices.
- Follow up/repair of assistive devices.
- Therapeutical services (Speech Therapy, OT, PT, Mobility Instructions).
- Promotion of barrier free environment.
- Encouraging and enhancing prevention of disabilities, early detection and intervention.
- To provide supportive and complimentary services to promote education, vocational training and employment for persons with disabilities.
- Providing orientation training to teachers, community and families.
- Providing training to PWDs for early motivation and early stimulation for education, vocational training and employment.
- Identifying suitable vocations for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), keeping in view local resources and designing vocational trainings.
- Providing vocational training and identifying suitable jobs, so as to make them economically independent
- Provide referral services for existing educational, training, vocational institutions.
- Preschool/Parent Infant Programme.
Under this programme, 24 DDRCs were allotted to AYJNIHH. Out of which 21 DDRCs, on completion of successful establishment and running for three years, are handed over to State Governments/District dministrations/NGOs.