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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.