Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) for disabled is not a new concept in India, through the spread and reach out CBR activities has been sporadic and rare. Inherent poverty and lack of opportunities and infrastructure, means the concept of CBR is not absorbed by the community that seeks relief for its subsistence. That means that CBR needs to be re-defined and re-oriented to suit local needs.
It is estimated that almost 8 percent of the children in the rural region of West Bengal has some or other form of disability. Unfortunately, there is no specific statistics existing for the state as no effort has been made to record the population on disability terms. The sporadic surveys conducted by few NGO groups and sample surveys suggest that the incidence of disability among children are very high in the state, more so in the rural belts. Not surprising for the people in the rural regions as the people still languish for want of basic amenities and facilities. The studies and surveys conducted by ABC have found that the deep-rooted problem of disability is a culmination of various factors, economic, social and even political.
ABC CBR initiatives include sensitization of the community members and family of the vulnerable child, identification of disabled children, linking the disabled child to the Home and government services, awareness generation in the community, livelihood analysis and assessment, providing livelihood and social support, facilitating medical and equipment aid for the disabled and liaison with community based organizations (CBOs) and government. The CBR unit also has a key responsibility to coordinate with other units including home, education and workshop.
CBR Flow Chart
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Sensitise the community
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Support development process
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Mobilise Human Resources through volunteers and self help groups
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Build capacities and abilities through Mothers Training
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Develop Leadership and Skills
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Identify and map vulnerable children
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Mobilise local resources
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Enhance local leadership
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Extend social support
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Network with CBOs
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Liaison with government/NGOs
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Promote Rights
CBR initiatives cover over 200 villages in four districts, primarily in disability identification and facilitation. However, ABC management has decided on a paradigm shift in approach to CBR, concentrating efforts to total rehabilitative initiatives in smaller number of villages, integrating vulnerability and disability rehabilitation to the ongoing development initiatives through a participatory rights based approach.
