In community-based programs the person with disability, the family, the community, and health professionals collaborate to provide needed services in a noninstitutional setting, in an environment where services for disabled persons are seriously limited or totally absent. In this context, these programs are appropriate in addressing the needs of the disabled especially in the rural settings. It’s essential feature is its focus on partnership and community participation. Introducing rehabilitation services at a local or community level removes many obstacles to care, which are associated with institutions. The difficulty of travel and its expenses are eliminated or reduced to a minimum. The individual is not isolated from the community; family members and community volunteers are part of the rehabilitative process. All participants can see what the person with disability has achieved. This can help integrate the person into the community, which is prepared to value the unique contribution, which the person is able to make. Objectives:

i. Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) recognizes the need to work for equality of status and opportunities for the person with disability.

ii. To rehabilitate and train person with disability, as well as to find ways to integrate them into their communities.

iii. The objective is to bring the person with physical and intellectual disabilities into the mainstream of life and help them in their effort of be coming self sufficient and active members of society.

iv. Integral to this approach is the participation of community members with the focus for training a new corps of health and social workers.

Vishwabharathi Inisiative for Home Based Rehabitaion

While institutionalized efforts for imparting special education to the children with disability are rendered through the Special Schools and institutions, it is imperative to appreciate the need to supplement these efforts through Community and Home management programs. With a view to apply a holistic approach in addressing the needs of the persons with physical and intellectual disability, projects which focus on community involvement and the family in the home environment have been encouraged. Of these, the Home Management projects are expected to cater to the 67 development of the child within the larger context of his or her home environment. In this sense these programs would serve as vital supplements to the inputs received in the special schools. The existing special schools are encouraged and expected to provide resources to run these services. The aim is to rely upon the Special School set up as resource base for these programs. The incidental expenses relating to material and logistic costs will be granted for these programs. Objectives:

i. To guide and provide for mobility skills.

ii. To help the persons with disability in developing basic communication skills.

iii. To impart activities of daily living skills in the home environment especially for the severely disabled.

iv. To sensitize the parents/guardians of the target group through counseling and related inputs.

v. To help families to identify the resources and subject material for managing problem behaviours, behavioral disorders and positive behavioral support.

vi. To help the parents to acquire the right perspective to look at the problem of the child within the larger context of his or her environment, home and in the community.

vii. To assist in a way that the families in the home environment are able to identify factors that influence or trigger challenging behaviour and develop an understanding of how to provide the positive behavioral support that the child needs to act appropriately.

viii. To bring home the therapeutic needs of the disabled.

ix. To provide Teaching Learning Material (TLM) and other relevant material for guidance at home.

x. To conduct annual client evaluation through review exercise.