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| Activities & Achievements Networking NPdO as a rights based advocacy platform faciliating netwok interventions across the 22 districts of Andhra Pradesh, the initatives have been drawing many individuals, Disabled People Organizations, community based organizations, like minded NGO;s, social activists, and disability focussed Networks towards the activities of the NPdO. Towards this process, it has faciliated capacity building interventions of the village, mandal, district level community based structures, and activists apart this constant interactions and information sharining interventions on the policy, act and schemes of the government have been widely discussed with the likeminded group at the state level. Networking inteventions are taking an active turn in advocating for the right of the persons with disablities and further making their way ahead and bringing the issues of the persons with disabilities to the public domain to seek adequate resources, policies and entitlemtent and equal rights. Social groups working towards the rights of persons with disabilities in the respective areas have been facilitated for pro-active role in addressing the issues of persons with disabilities. As a result many of the sensitized groups have taken the ownership and have accumulated themselves into networks to raise voices and address specific issues of the Persons with disabilities. PHIN (People with Hearing impaired network) The Network has been initiated by a group of Persons with Hearing and Speech impaired, with the facilitation of NPdO, Ms. Janaki, had a hearing and speech impaired, who had also been designated as a Vice President of NPdO, had taken lead in brining all the people with the Speech and Hearing disability to a common platform for a converged approach to address their issues. The primary objective of the network is to build the leadership and networking capacities from the Panchyat to Parliament through politically educating them. To sensitize people’s representative, human rights activists, philanthropists and civil society about the acts and entitlement of the PWD’s. Tejasvi Mahila Vikangula Network (TMVN) NPdO formed village, mandal, District level committees and forum for the women with disabilities named Tejasvi Mahila Vikalangula Network (TMVN) to build the capacities of the village level women rights activists to raise the issues of the PWDs about the rights and entitlements. In this process children with disability, parents, village youth organizations have taken a pro-active role in building their capacities. The committees and the women forum (TMVN) rendering its services very effectively by mobilizing and motivating larger communities to the public gathering ,rallies on Inclusive Education, NREGA scheme, about discriminations at all levels with a special focus for woman with disability issues. Apart this advocacy and lobbing also been initiated through interfaces, discussions, and submission of the memorandums and representation to the concerned officials, political representatives and policy makers. Network of the DWARFS NPdO has facilitated a network of the DWRAFS, by identifying them through a survey process, and had initiated a dialogue with them to bring them to a common platform to share and raise their voices on their issues. The network has been convened at the Karimnagar district initially and now it has been reaching out to the other districts. Network of PWDs with HIV A study on “The inclusion of persons with disabilities from HIV/AIDS program in India carried out by DIFD where NPdO participated actively and identified the serious need of inclusion of persons with disabilities in HIV/AIDS awareness programs by the government and non government and other agencies. With the support of CORDAID, Netherlands NPdO started its interventions in the Karimnagar District. In this process the Persons with disabilities with HIV has been facilitated to form into a district level network. Capacity Building Towards strengthening the interventions at the village, mandal, district and state levels for demanding equal opportunities for the persons with disabilities. NPdO is facilitating various capacity building programs for developing its cadre to raise voices on the issues and advocate for their rights. In this process various training programs and capacity building workshop have been organized across the state. The training and workshops have involved various government and non-governmental organization to equip the networks on community mobilization, motivation, management, communication skills and legal information. Apart this NPdOs in collaboration with the CAPART has organized a capacity building workshop on CAPART schemes to disseminate information on various beneficial schemes of the CAPART for the grassroots level disability focused NGO’s and CBOs. The primary focus of the workshop is to generate awareness among the community on various rural development initiatives of CAPART for deriving optimum benefits, to involve all the grassroots level workers and functionaries in awareness generation and livelihood promotion activities in villages and to facilitate equal opportunities for the persons with disabilities through generating awareness on rural development programs. Advocacy and Lobbying Marching ahead with objectives of the NPdO for demanding self-respect, dignity and social justice for the persons with disabilities, the slogan “Demanding nothing about us without us” is been associated with the network since its inception has provided a courage to empower Persons with disabilities to raise their voices for their rights. NPdO has taken various advocacy efforts towards addressing the rights of the persons with disabilities, and have extended its support for the cause of Persons with disabilities. The advocacy interventions involved staging of Dharma’s, rallies and signature campaigns, for demanding equal opportunities for the persons with disabilities, rallies demanding opportunities for PWDs in NREGA programs, submission of memorandums to the government authorities on inclusion of Dwarfs in to the list of persons with disabilities, campaigning interventions for effective implementation of acts and policies. National Level Dharma at India Gate, New Delhi for demanding 3% budget allocation political reservations, and demand to constitute a ministry for welfare and development of people with disabilities has been taken as primary agenda. 300 representatives of NPdO have actively participated in the process. Towards transforming the interventions carried out at the national level, a Dharna was also organized at the District collector office, Karminagar to demand, 3% budget allocation for the PWDs in all the government programs and schemes, and effective implementation of the GO’s for the empowerment and development of the PWDs. A state level Dharma at Hyderabad was organized by People with Hearing Impaired Network to demand, free transportation facilities, establishment of schools and colleges in all the districts, filling up of reserved vacant posts, increase of marriage incentives, and encouragement in games and sports apart from organizing rallies and dharnas submission of memorandums to the policy makers, government officials, and political representatives for Promotion of barrier free environment, inclusive education, effective implementation of NREGA, Bank linkages to SHG groups formed by the women with disabilities, pensions, entitlements, effective implementation of the existing policies, recruitment of special educators, and provision of aids and appliances have been done at a large scale. State level workshops have been initiated by NPdO on the rights of children with disabilities and inclusive education with the participation of government officials and public representatives to bring much awareness about the existing policies as well as the upcoming policies for the children with disabilities. Women Empowerment To improve the livelihood of the women with disabilities NPdO has initiated training camps to improve their skill, confidence level and also provided support to establish their own self employment units. Many women and other legal cases have been filed and some of them justified and the remaining is under process. To meet the legal cases legal clinics have been established where the persons with disabilities can register their cases. To encourage the adult marriages NPdO initiated marriage linkages too. Towards sensitization on the issues of women with disabilities, NPdO has conducted training camps for the government and non government officials on the rights and entitlements of the women for brining clarity and understanding the needs and rights women with disabilities. NPdO primary focusing on the women, and children with disability to bring them out from the poverty and ignorance, and making them fit to fight in this community on their rights and entitlements. Community Based Rehabilitation : NPdO initially providing rehabilitation in two mandals of Karimnagar ,Involving the community members in rehabilitation process of the PWDs had been undertaken through sensitization of the community based organizations, carrying out educational rehabilitation activities for the children with disabilities, providing livelihood support through linkage development and trainings and carrying out medical rehabilitation interventions through the establishment of community rehabilitation cum counseling centers. The rehabilitation activities are progressing effectively with a right based approach. NPdO has divided mandals into clusters. Cluster coordinators (CBRWs) represent the activities to the mandal level coordinators. NPdO is not only providing straight rehabilitation but also making them aware about their rights and entitlements of the PWDs .Mandal and village committees have been formed and working effectively. A rehabilitation center has been established and rendering its services very effectively in Karimnagar district. All medical services physiotherapy, ophthalmology is being provided at the doorsteps of the PWDs. In two mandals all efforts going on to provide barrier free environment, inclusive education. Providing trainings to the government as well as non government officials to achieve the inclusive education. Special education has been provided to the severe disabled and the needy children and day care centers have been established and counseling is being provided to the parents of the PWDs. Many cases got identified who are in need of surgery and few cases have been operated. Aids and appliances special education material has been provided to the children with disability. Resource persons, special teachers are providing their services to educate the children with disability. Eye screening test and camps have been conducted in schools and villages. Cultural campaigns and wall writings performed in all villages. Economic Empowerment Interventions towards bringing economic sustainability among the youth and women with disabilities, NPdO has initiated livelihood development program which involves training of the youth in livelihood skills, for creating adequate opportunities for employment. Apart this Self Help groups involving the women with disabilities have been facilitated and the members are been frequently trained on various vocational and leadership skills to build their capacities for emerging as self sustainable groups. During the process, towards bringing more sustainability to the interventions, the skilled youth have facilitated into groups and were linked to various central and state government schemes for accessing loan facilities to start their own units. Whereas the SHG groups of women with disabilities, were provided adequate linkages to access loans from the banks to initiate their own units either in groups or individually. Marriage Alliance In order to setting up marriage alliances between non-disabled persons and persons with disability and both the gender of PWD, it has been decided to form a Marriage-Bureau by NPdO. For this purpose a format preparation with matrimonial details like Bio-data of Bridegroom and Bride and the details like parents generation and other things, employment or business or other livelihood details, wealth and assets background, characteristics of persons, etc, have been prepared and circulated among the Resource Persons and Coordinators, for the purpose of gathering the information. Similarly pamphlets intimating the setting up of marriage bureau by NPdO at Hyderabad is being prepared and distributed among all the public through news papers, government and non-government organizations, all Vikalangula Sanghams in village, mandal and district level areas through the coordinators and activists of NPdO network. Legal support NPdO has facilitated a legal support and Grievance Readdressal cell in various mandals of Karimnagar district to legally empower the persons with the disabilities, the cell is supporting the PWD’s in filing on the rights violations, exploitation and abuse. Apart submitting representation to competent authorities for the settlement of their problems like, Family disputes or Marital disturbances, discrimination against disability, difficulties involved in obtaining the Entitlements etc. Grievance Readdressal NPdO visualizes that a needy and Rehabilitation-seeker finds a true solace of relief only when he / she ensures reddressal of his / her grief or grievance and secures the needed Entitlement and Rehabilitation. Therefore, the NPdO bestowed its utmost care and attention to Reddressal Services. In order to mitigate the hardship and grievances of a PWD, NPdO facilitated Reddressal of Grievances through linkages, rapport development, interventions, policy-influencing with all concerned – towards ensuring reddressal and PWD Entitlements. NPdO continued its effective “Reddressal Services” to the needy PWDs all the year round. A good number of PWDs benefited from our Round-the Clock services through our State Level & State Wide Networking. Information Dissemination Information dissemination plays a vital role in bringing about awareness on disability issues and problems. In this process NPdO has timely updating the PWDs through various publications of VARTA TEJA, apart from circulation of the copies of printed material such as stickers, handbills, and wall writings on Rights, Entitlements, Government Schemes, Service providers and NGOs’ details. This information dissemination brought about good and commendable response from the target persons, CBOs, Associations etc. |
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