The Association of People With Disability

Started in 1973, APD’s Inclusive Education Program is a system of education wherein students with and without disabilities learn together. The system is suitably adapted to meet the learning needs of different types of students. We create a holistic learning environment that demonstrates inclusion and enables accessibility, rehabilitation, and comprehensive education interventions. The primary goal is to promote inclusion at all touch points.

AGE GROUP: 18 - 35 YEARS Started in 1959, APD’s Vijaya Vikalchethan Vritti Vikas (PwDs Victory through Employment Enhancement), better known as the Vi4 program, aims at equipping, enabling and empowering People with Disabilities with suitable livelihood opportunities to lead functional & financially independent lives through skilling, employment, and rehabilitation

Underprivileged people with SCI(Spinal Cord Injury) need more assistance as compared to disabled people. APD provides extensive rehabilitation services through community workers who are trained to execute the treatment with regular visits from professionals, this model helps to keep costs in check. It offers both institutional-based rehabilitation(IBR) and community-based rehabilitation(CBR).

APD aims for the complete rehabilitation of the specially-abled which means restoring their physical, social, vocational and mental capabilities. To keep the costs of treatment down APD engages trained community workers instead of professionals who regularly visit and advise on treatment schedules.

Its rehabilitation programme includes services like physiotherapy, hydrotherapy (for children), massage therapy (for children with cerebral palsy (CP), speech & language therapy and visual therapy. It conducts sessions in therapy in both rural and urban settings through taluk level clinics and extended outreach through outpatient departments.

With a firm belief that early detection of any disability and appropriate intervention aids in the proper growth and development of the child, APD provides services including comprehensive therapy, assistive and adaptive devices, medical and surgical interventions, reference to nutrition rehabilitation centres, guidance and support to families, connecting the families to various social security schemes, self-advocacy and inclusion into mainstream society.

It works to align with the policy of the Right to Education and aims to educate children with disabilities. It focuses on three aspects in its attempts namely providing comprehensive education, encouraging an ecosystem which promotes inclusive education and partnering with the education department.

It has founded the Shradhanjali Integrated School(SIS), to provide education to both disabled and able-bodied children from marginal backgrounds. This school focuses on activity-based learning and is equipped with audio-visual and technology-based devices to deliver inclusive education.

Besides operating the SIS it also provides special assistance to children with cerebral palsy and speech and hearing assistance while promoting the formation of model schools and working to create self-sustaining schools in the build, own and transfer model.

APD involves itself in community mobilisation, training and placement of disabled people in relevant jobs. It conducts a two-month foundation course that is unique to APD. It includes training on self-management, daily living, basic communication, calligraphy and English language, basic mathematics, sign language, and other disciplines.

It also identifies appropriate candidates for employer-led training and trains them in partnership with training partners to the specifications required by the employer. The training covers the sectors of BPO, hospitality and retail.

Training in horticulture is also provided to enable opportunities in nurseries, community, landscaping, floriculture, tissue culture and the horticulture industry besides offering non-formal electronics and mechanic training and placement assistance.