Future bleak for differently abled helpline as donor pulls out

The New Year is beginning on a dark note for a helpline that has assisted over 24,000 differently abled persons in the State in the past seven years. One of the major donors is withdrawing funding from December 31, threatening its operation.

From procedures to apply for benefits under the State and Central Governments schemes and concessions for employment opportunities in the private sector, the helpline, founded here on December 30, 2007 by Caliber Trust, provides a wide range of assistance.

Unlike most helplines that have only a landline, Caliber Trust president Surya Nagappan says they also operate a mobile number to enable those with hearing and speech disabilities to obtain information through SMS.

“In fact, the helpline also calls back on missed calls as many differently abled persons are in dire economic straits and hence, give missed calls from their friends’ or relatives mobile phones, ” he says.

So far, the helpline has attended to 22,487 calls and sent SMS to 1,800 persons.

It has also sent copies of Government Orders to 276 persons.

The helpline incurs a monthly operational expenditure of around Rs. 20,000.

The organisation stepped up its operations in 2009 when it began to receive funding from a German organisation routed through a Coimbatore organisation. However, this funding is now set to cease from December 31, he says.

This has come at a very inopportune moment as the helpline was now planning to expand its operations by shifting to Chennai.

A donor has provided land at Egmore, Chennai, for the purpose.

“The Chennai office will help differently abled persons approach the Government offices and submit applications. We are determined to keep the helpline running and are now looking for donors,” adds Mr. Nagappan.

As per the Census data of the Office of Registrar General and Census Commissioner Tamil had 16 lakh differently abled persons as per the 2001 Census.

The data of 2011 was yet to be released. Tamil Nadu is the only state to have a higher number of disabled females than males.

A survey conducted in 2009 by non-governmental organisations estimated that there were 22 lakh differently abled persons in Tamil Nadu.

The helpline works all seven days a week and can be contacted at the following telephone no: (0422) 246 1655 or mobile number: 99445 56168, e-mail ids: caliber.coimbatore@gmail.com, rights4pwd@gmail.com.