Impact of Services

Community and Local level:  Cerebral palsy is a disorder or posture and movement, and although improvement is possible it cannot be cured. In a condition such as this qualitative change is most important, not just in the person with cerebral palsy, but in their family and community. For example, after community awareness meetings, two families on an average usually come forward to seek help for a member of the family with a disability.

  • In the Family and School Services, ninety-two students passed out successfully after finishing their education.In the last three years, eighty-four trainees have completed their vocational training and of those twenty-one have employment and five are self-employed.
  • Services in urban slum services in 25 municipality wards in partnership with three NGOs working in development and sponsored by MIBLOU, Switzerland have reached more than 200 persons with disability.
  • Field workers from the partner agencies have been trained and the awareness programmes on disability and the need for inclusion have led to self help groups being formed and linkages with community schools and hospitals.
  • A community project in S 24 Parganas, a district adjoining Kolkata, is in progress in collaboration with a corporate house as a part of CSR activities for community development. 21 families with a disabled family member have been directly helped and a self help group is being formed for economic empowerment.

Advocacy and Empowerment: Since its inception in 2003, Ankur, IICP’s Advocacy Group of activists with cerebral palsy and other disabilities have been working on access, rights and entitlements, citizenship responsibilities and duties.

State level: Apart from supporting partners in the Districts over the years, three new organisations are presently being assisted to set up services for persons with disability in three districts supported by Healthy World, USA. In its role as a State Nodal Agency Centre of the National Trust training programmes were organised in nine districts. Staff has regularly been involved in training in special education for the Govt’s Education For ALL (Sarva Shikshya Mission) programme.

Regional and National level: Team members from IICP regularly participate in workshops and seminars. A senior staff member is the Vice-President, Eastern Region, National Abilympics Association of India, and regional meets have been organised and held at IICP

IICP is a national level organisation and works with its network of State level organisations in implementing national policies. Each November, the annual Affiliates Meeting is held for strategic planning.

International level:  IICP is recognised internationally as a premier organisation in the field of disability, particularly in the field of Augmentative and Alternative Communication. The Executive Director of the Institute was the President of ISAAC till November 2008. Each year students from abroad opt to do elective and experience placements at IICP. Countries include Australia, USA, Mexico, UK and Canada. Staff have also presented papers in conferences in several countries, including, Peru, USA, UK, Australia, Canada, Taiwan and Japan.