The ability beyond disability
A mission to reach the unreached

As part of its effort to empower persons with disabilities in the remote parts of the country, the Army Wives Welfare Association (AWWA) organized a 2-Day camp under the “Mission Ability Beyond Disability” at Ziro in Lower Subansiri district of Arunachal Pradesh from 12th to 13th August 2007. Smt Subbulakshmi Jagadeesan, the Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment inaugurated the camp. Smt. Anupama Singh, President AWWA, Lt General B.S. Jaswal, Corp commander, HQ 4 Corp and other State Govt. dignitaries and villagers including the beneficiaries attended the inaugural programme.

Organized for the first time in Arunachal Pradesh, the camp rekindled the hopes of the disabled persons. The two-day camp provided varied types of appliances, which included hearing aids with solar battery charger, wheel chairs, auxiliary crutches, elbow crutches, blind sticks, etc. to over 300 disabled persons. A medical check up was also organized at the camp where free medical services were provided to the senior citizens, ex-servicemen and other needy persons. NHPC, ITBP, Border Road Organization, the HQ 5 Mountain Brigade and HQ 2 Mountain Divisions helped the AWWA in bringing beneficiaries from the various villages to the camp, thus fulfilling one of the most important needs for the success of the mission. .

It may be mentioned that the Army Wives Welfare Association started the Mission Ability Beyond Disability in July 2005 at New Delhi with the following missions:

Reach the Unreached

Establish a link between rehabilitation professionals and those in need.

Strengthen the field-based initiatives for effective and efficient response to the needs of the people, with a commitment to create a better tomorrow.

Compliment the Government endeavors.

The mission, in collaboration with Artificial Limb Corporation of India, (ALIMCO), a public sector undertaking of Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, primarily focused to reach the unreached and establish a link between the rehabilitation professionals and those in need. When the first census was done on the disabled population, the figures were very frightening and thought-provoking as two out of every hundred Indians suffered from various mental or physical disabilities. According to the census, there were about 21,906,769 disabled persons in India which constituted 2.19% of the total population, out of which over 75% of such people lived in the rural India. The record further revealed that 49% of such persons were illiterate.

The programmes were executed even in the most inhospitable terrains. The mission, to a large extent, was a major success. It was carried out in the inhospitable terrain of Kargil in Jammu and Kashmir to the remote, difficult area of Ziro in Arunachal Pradesh and even extended from the mainland to thousands of miles away at the remote places of the Andaman Islands. The camp at Ziro was a part of 19 free camps and programmes set up by AWWA in different places providing free assistive devices. The programmes within such short span of its launching, had made a significant impact as the services of this mission had benefited over 4000 beneficiaries of lesser privileged categories by reaching out to the upper and interior regions of J&K, remote areas of North East and from mainland to the islands.

The nodal officer of this mission was Colonel T.K.Chatterjee. It is he, who coordinated and executed all the 19 camps. Services have a large number of disabled soldiers due to the difficult service conditions. Most of them belong to the rural India, and who, after retirement go back to their respective places and lead a difficult life. During the last decade the number of such cases has gone up due to increase in counter insurgency operations. These ex-servicemen have been given all possible assistance for leading a peaceful and tension-free life. 

The army understands not only the sentiments and the problems of the disabled persons of ex-servicemen but also of the common man. Through this mission the AWWA has taken a noble step to alleviate the sufferings of the disabled persons living in the far-flung areas. The efforts of AWWA in coordination with professional bodies on the most challenging aspect of empowerment and rehabilitation of persons with disabilities is a firm step towards the creation of a cognizant society by incorporating all the segments of the society. It firmly believes that the social transformation is possible only when all the segments of the society join together to enable empowerment of one and all.

Let us join hands and be a part of this wonderful initiative “ability beyond disability and reach the unreached”. Because only working together, we can make it happen and strive towards excellence, thus making this planet a better place to live in.

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