Amar Seva Sangam

Amar Seva Sangam (ASSA) is a premier Organization in the field of disability management focusing on rural areas across all ages and all disabilities, Read morelocated in Ayikudy Village, Tenkasi District. Its approach is to establish a centralized resource center in the development of physically and mentally challenged. In the last 40 years ASSA has very successfully implemented several bold and innovative programs and received several State, National, International and other awards. ASSA caters to over 20,000 Persons with Disabilities in over 900 villages in the districts of Tenkasi, Tirunelveli, Tuticorin and Virudhunagar by way of rehabilitation, education, employment and empowerment to enable the PwDs become economically productive citizens and join the mainstream society. About the President & Secretary Padma Shri S. Ramakrishnan, established Amar Seva Sangam in June 1981 with just 5 rural poor children under a thatched roof. In 1975 Sri Ramakrishnan met with an accident during a Naval recruitment exercise and severely injured his spine and became quadriplegic. The Secretary, CA S. Sankara Raman, also a wheelchair person diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy, a prolific Chartered Accountant with gold medal, joined the Sangam in 1992 after leaving his lucrative practice in Chennai. Their sheer grit and determination was eye opener to many and help poured in from across all sections of society which is a testimony of where the Sangam now stands. Their dream is to establish a Valley for the physically challenged in a 30+ acre land at Ayikudy, as a Rehabilitation and Development Centre and developing models for self-help initiatives by integrating the disabled individuals with the society for improved living conditions. Vision of Amar Seva Sangam: To establish a valley for the Disabled, whereby physically / mentally challenged persons live in a pro-active society where equality prevails irrespective of physical, mental, or other challenged with the rest of the society. It is a futuristic vision whereby Amar Seva Sangam plays the role of an enabling agent to get the physically / mentally challenged “equality of status, equality in opportunities and equality in access”. It is a society where people are identified as differently able. Mission of Amar Seva Sangam: To empower the disabled citizens by establishing a “Valley for the Disabled” as a Rehabilitation and Development Centre for the region and developing models for self-help initiatives by integrating the disabled individuals with the society for improved living conditions in the villages. We are one of the four organizations in India for spinal injury rehabilitation, functioning under Institution Based Rehabilitation Activities including, Vocational Training Centre for Tailoring and Handicraft, Computer Education, Typewriting, Notebook making, Residential Program for Children with physical disabilities. Hostels for Disabled Youth Sangamam Special School - Day Care Centre for Intellectually Challenged Children Residential Program for Children with Special Needs Nursery and Higher Secondary school for inclusive education, IGNOU and Alagappa Special Study Centres, Medical Testing Unit for providing physiotherapy, Speech therapy and Electro therapy, Orthotic Centre for manufacturing and repairing assistive devices. Foster Care Centre for Adult MR. We have been recognized by Honb’le Presidents of India on four occasions by Mr.K.R.Narayanan, Mr.A.P.J.Abdul Kalam, Mrs.Pratibha Patil and Mr.Pranab Mukherjee and we have got recognition through various State, Central and international awards and citations. We are working with the State Government of Tamil Nadu for 2100 children with developmental delays in the Early Intervention program. We are covering more than 3500 in four States in 39 blocks in India. We are members in the Advisory Board of State Government of Tamil Nadu for Differently Abled and in the Welfare Board also. Our Early Intervention program is a highly successful model with technology enabled live tracking system which has won UN Award in Vienna and NY 2019 and 2020 respectively. We have done extensive research which is published in international magazines for early childhood development and enrollment of children developmental delays in primary schools. Our work has established that our technology improves the therapy compliance to more than 85%, increase school enrollment to 87%, reduction in the mothers and families strain, improved the child engagement and thereby improving economic well being of the family.

AMAR SEVA SANGAM’s mission is to empower the disabled citizens by establishing a ‘Valley for the Disabled’ as a Rehabilitation and Development Centre for the region and developing models for self-help initiatives by integrating the disabled individuals with the society for improved living conditions in the villages.

To establish a valley for the Disabled, whereby physically / mentally challenged persons live in a pro-active society where equality prevails irrespective of physical, mental or other challenged with the rest of the society. It is a futuristic vision whereby Amar Seva Sangam plays the role of an enabling agent to get the physically / mentally challenged “equality of status, equality in opportunities and equality in access”. It is a society where people are identified as differently abled.

Amar Seva Sangam committed to the belief that the disability is not a constrain only a condition that can be managed.

We believes that the disabled people can contribute to society and the impression that they are to be sympathized and pitied, is a misconception. Amar Seva Sangam feels that if they are enabled and given a level playing ground, they can be as productive as anybody else in the society. ​The Sangam’s ultimate aim is to empower the disabled and it is a process that will start from different entry level rehabilitation plans, depending upon their age, socio economic background and the nature and extent of disability. They are discharged from direct rehabilitation intervention to integrate them with society and their families. Amar Seva Sangam believes that this area can become a valley of the disabled where, everyone is considered as human being and the disability is only a part of human diversity in nature’s creation. Equality should prevail and humanity is the ultimate winner.

EARLY INTERVENTION
Early Intervention has a significant impact for children who have delayed development in physical, cognitive, emotional, sensory, behavioral, social and communication domains of development. With quality early intervention services children can reach their potential, live a meaningful life and integrate into their communities.

ENABLING INCLUSION (EI) APP & MODEL
Amar Seva Sangam has provided Early Intervention and child rehabilitation services for children with developmental delays since 2014 using a real-time mobile technology platform called the EI App – Enabling Inclusion App. This Enabling Inclusion program was started with the bold idea, that community rehabilitation workers can provide early intervention services to children in their own homes or in community centres by connecting these community workers with rehabilitation specialists (physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists/trainers and special educators) through the use of the Enabling Inclusion (EI) app. This has led to significant improvements in motor, cognitive, speech, functional and social development outcomes for children, as well as increased school enrollment, increased family empowerment, improved parent-child interaction and reduced strain on caregivers.