Guj govt launches NID-designed initiative for the disabled

Ahmedabad, July 31 (UNI) Gujarat government's Health and Family Welfare department today launched a project to sensitise people towards the disabled and to reduce vulnerabilities for them, in collaboration with Handicap International, a non-profit organisation.

The National Institute of Design (NID) has drawn up the communications strategy of the project, that is already being field tested in Surendranagar and Kutch districts, said Mr Snehal Soneji at a press conference.

''It aims at early identification, treatment, prevention and rehabilitation of persons with disabilities. It will strenghthen the public health system to address the issues related to disability and reduce the vulnerabilities through sensitisation,'' he said.

Emphasising on the need to increase awareness about disability, Mr Tarun Deep Girdher, Coordinator, Graphic Design at NID, said most of the time, disability is linked to fate or accepted as God's will or curse and the disabled is shown a lack of concern and care.'' Sometimes they are treated as a different species. During our research, we came across instances wherein few mentally handicapped persons were administered raw eggs through their ears to put 'brains' into their heads--it can be serious. Ignorance can be dangerous. So we need to build a positive environment for them, by constantly hammering in information about them, their needs and their abilities,'' he said.

Communication tools such as radio jingles, radio and video skits, songs and calendars, stickers and posters can be used to spread the message about being sensitive to the disabled and treat them as part of the society, he stressed.

Messages about disability being preventable or can be reduced through timely medical intervention, and that discourage superstitions, should be constantly sent out to make people aware about the measures they need to take.

Initially, the project will be implemented in Patan, Vadodara, Surendranagar, Mehsana and then in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar. It is being funded by Swiss Solidarity.

UNI MMG KU RL KN2127