5 NGOs empowering the differently-abled people

As per the 2011 census, around 2.21% of India’s population is differently-abled, so there are a little over 2 crore people in our country who are living with some form of physical or mental handicap that makes it difficult for them to function, which we like to call, “normal” society. This means that the number of people with disabilities in India is almost twice the entire population of Sweden! 

With such a large population with special needs, it’s important to understand why they’re still a minority group desperately in need of uplifting.  The social and physical barriers set up in society prevent differently-abled people from rising above their station and living up to their full potential. Even today, most buildings in India do not have a properly accessible wheelchair ramp. Lack of funding has made it difficult for most welfare projects to get through to completion. 

The social stigma surrounding incurable mental illnesses leaves people with no hope, estranged from an apathetic society. The fact that they require special care which may require more finances, leave most families in despair. Especially in a country like India, where most of the population is from a rural background struggling to make ends meet. A lot of NGOs and organizations are working hard to change this mindset and make the world a more accessible place for everyone. But underfunding and less personnel makes it difficult for them to do this.  

Listed below are a few organizations in India that are trying to make the world a better place for  specially-abled people and ways to contribute to their efforts.

1. Ritham Special School for the Mentally Challenged Children

The lack of access to proper special education and individual attention has led to over 60,000  differently-abled young students dropping out of school. Ritham School specially curates syllabi based on individual assessments of their students and provides a 1:8 teacher-student ratio ensuring that all students receive proper individual attention.  

2. Vikash

Most differently-abled people in India are from rural backgrounds. The lack of access to several necessary medical and support services makes it difficult for them to be independent. Vikash works for intellectually challenged children suffering from epilepsy. They provide door-to-door therapy, training and counselling to families. Vikash also runs Mukti Kiran, a residential facility for children who need institutionalized care. The rural families in this area cannot afford the cost of these necessary medical services and the organization accepts donations to sponsor the medical treatment of differently-abled people.

3. Diya Foundation

The ostracization from society is what impacts overall development the most. Every person feels the desire to be in an inclusive space surrounded by supportive people. Diya Foundation helps create this support system and provides vocational training to intellectually challenged adults so that they can be independent, financially and in society. This NGO for differently-abled people accepts donations to help people with special skills to get trained in life skills.

4. National Society for Equal Opportunities for the Handicapped

The most difficult hurdle for differently-abled people to cross is to attain economic independence. They find it hard to get hired and have very limited job opportunities to choose from. NASEOH runs a vocational training Centre which teaches trades like pottery, tailoring, communication skills, etc. After completion of the course, the trainees are offered jobs in external or self-employment. This NGO for differently-abled accepts donations to help sponsor the vocational training of individuals with special needs.

5. Adarsh Charitable Trust

When it comes to special needs, education and medical support go hand-in-hand. Most differently-abled people require some form of medical care, be it physical or mental, to co-exist in a social setting. Adarsh trust is the perfect amalgamation of both. They provide education as well as therapy to students that are struggling with different kinds of needs. The foundation has physiotherapists as well as special educators to cater to the students’ every need. This NGO for differently-abled accepts donations to help children in need of therapy and getting the education they deserve.

You can do your bit to change society’s mindset by donating to any of the NGOs for differently-abled mentioned above through our trustworthy donation platform, Give.

This blog was updated in December 2023.

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