BRIEF PROFILE OF THE PARTNER NGO

Spastic Society of Karnataka is a non-governmental organisation dedicated for the welfare of children with cerebral palsy in the areas of education, health and integration into the community. This organisation was started in the year of 1982 under the Societies Registration Act of 1860 with a team of socially sensitive people.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE ORGANISATION

To plan and co-ordinate provision of service to Spastics in particular the establishment of:

1. Centres for Special Education.
2. Vocational training centers.
3. Health care and rehabilitation.
4. Teachers Training for special education.

PRESENT ACTIVITIES OF THE SPASTICS SOCIETY

The Spastic Society provides education as well as home management  counselling for children with cerebral palsy. This includes home management
services, therapy (occupational, behavioral, physical, speech, audiology), special education, and vocational training for children with cerebral palsy. It also offers a diagnosis and remedial center and associated support services, both parent and student counselling. It functions as a diagnostic and research centre for Neuro Muscular Disabilities and Development Disorder. The Spastics society has developed a good community based outreach program for children in areas far away from the main center. In these outreach centers smaller schools are set up to serve the children of these areas

Asha Seattle supports the outreach program of the Spastics society where special education is provided within the village context of the child. Asha currently supports 2 such centers at Kempapura Agrahara and Yelahanka.

OBJECTIVES OF THE OUTREACH PROGRAM

The main objective of this community based outreach program is to provide the same support system to children living in rural areas within their own community. These are conducted using a medical rehabilitation approach in Yelahanka, near by villages and Agrahara Slum Bangalore to develop the person with disabilities to his/her maximum potential and then train them into some income generation activity. 

Kempapura Agrahara

Functions as a day centre unit for children with cerebral palsy from 5 years - 25 years. This center currently has 36 children receiving education and health care benefits. It is run by local staff from the same village who are trained by SSK continue to run this satellite centre. This center provides primary health care, prevention, health education and education to the children of Kempapura agrahara. The programme would continue to follow the guidelines as given to the new programmes developed by the main center in Indranagar, Bangalore. Education is individually planned depending on the ability of the child. Hence the term appropriate education. Education leading to independent living as near as possible, including basic needs and home care education. apart from this based on the child's ability basic math's, language and environmental sciences using teaching aids are provided to the children. As the children grow older prevocational & vocational training are given. This center also aims to improve community awareness. The goal is to develop community participation and set up a vocational training unit at Kempapura Agrahara by forming parent groups. This could potentially lead to some amount of self sustainability of the project. The infrastructure for the school here includes a 8'x12' Room with toilet attached electricity & water available, fan, steel cupboards mattress, carpet, cut out tables with coverseat, wheelchair. 

Arunodaya, Yelahanka

The goal of this is to start supporting the existing project 'Arunodaya' at Yelahanka and include two villages nearby, as a pilot project on CBR in villages. The infrastructure for this includes a single bedroom accommodation with a bedroom and a class room. The building is being rented for (Rs.2,500/-) per month. This  project would utilize Arunodaya as a central unit to:

1. Cater to persons with disabilities near the unit.
2. Centre for training CBR workers.
3. Organize meetings between CBR workers and parents etc.
4. Identifying children with disabilities 12 years and below in 2 villages around Yelahanka.
5. Identifying 2 persons from each village to be trained as CBR worker.
6. Conduct Medical/Paramedical camps on regular basis to:
   1. Identify/treat children with disabilities.
   2. Train CBR Workers as an in service trainee on management of disabled.
   3. Train parent about how to bring maximum potential of the disabled child.
   4. Identify vocations to be taught to the clients to make them self reliant by the time they cross 18 years of age.

1. Special Education Teacher - 1
2. Senior Therapy Aid - 1
3. Therapy Aid - 2
4. Teacher Aid - 2
5. CBR workers (Trainees) - 4
6. Ayyah (caretakers) - 2