Kerala Government Schemes for differently abled

Kerala State Government Schemes:

Various welfare scheme for the differentially abled persons are implemented through the Corporation

1.    Free distribution of Aids and Appliances.

Quality aids and appliances are provided to the differently abled persons in Kerala whose annual income is upto Rs. 60000/- per year.  The Aids and Appliances such as Artificial Limbs, Tricycles, Wheel chairs, Calipers, Crutches, Hearing Aids, white canes, Colostomy bags etc. are supplied once in three years.  The beneficiaries are selected in the medical camps conducted at district/Block and Panchayat level with the help of local self Government and Govt. Health Department.

2.    Subsidy for Self-employment Assistance Scheme (Bank loan subsidy).

Under this scheme applications are invited from disabled persons for self-employment.  The applications are processed and recommended to the nearest service banks for sanctioning loan. Once the loan is sanctioned, the Corporation will provide subsidy to the loan subject to the total loan availed.  The present rate of subsidy is as follows

3.    Subsidy for Motorized Tricycle. 

Kerala State handicapped Persons Welfare Corporation is providing Rs. 10,000/- as subsidy to each self-employed youth disabled persons for procuring motorized tricycle.  Those who desire to get subsidy have to submit application in the prescribed format along with  attested copy of original bills of the vehicle, registration certificate, insurance certificate and photograph showing the vehicle Reg. No. with the disabled person.

4.    Proficiency Award to the differentially abled persons. 

To motivate and enhance the morale of the disabled students the Corporation have been distributing cash awards of Rs.2,500/- each to the students who are Orthopaedically disabled, speech and hearing impaired, visually impaired and mentally retarded who secure highest mark in each district in SSLC & Higher Secondary Examination and Rs. 5000/- each towards  state level award of the above 4 categories.

5. Financial Assistance to disabled Lottery Agents.

The Corporation along with Kerala State Lotteries Department is implementing a Special Scheme for the Lottery Agents who are disabled.  Under this scheme, disabled persons are identified throughout the state for the sale of Lottery tickets and such identified lottery agents are given financial assistance of   Rs. 5,000/- for purchase and sale of lottery tickets.

6.Loans for self-employment assistance from National Handicapped Finance and Development Corporation.

The Kerala State Handicapped Persons Welfare Corporation is the State Channelising Agency of NHFDC for providing loans to the differently abled applicants at a very low rate of interest for self – employment ventures.  The loans are available to persons with disability of not less than 40% and whose annual family income does not exceed Rs. 3,00,000 in the case of applicants hailing from rural areas and Rs. 5,00,000 for those from urban areas.  The rates of interest is upto Rs. 50,000/- – 5%, above Rs. 50,000/-  and upto Rs. 5 lakhs – 6% and for  Women applicants 1% rebate on interest is allowed.  The process of identifying viable schemes, ensuring proper security, monitoring the enterprises, visiting the premises to ensure proper utilisation and watching repayments in instalments spread over seven/ten years etc.  indicate that the transactions are not likely to yield any profit.  The venture being an intrinsic part of rehabilitation of the handicapped the Corporation is bound to pursue this loan scheme zealously.

7.    Fixed Deposit Scheme for severely disabled children

This scheme aims to provide financial security to the severely disabled children below the age of 8 years.  Under this scheme the children below the age of 8 years and having 60% or more disability and who’s parent’s are having Annual Income upto Rs. 60,000/-, the Corporation is depositing an amount of Rs. 15,000/-for boys and Rs. 20,000/- for girls.  The fund under this scheme will be released after the age of 18 years for self-employment or marriage or as per requests after assessing the genunity.

8. Promotion of  Self-Help Groups (SHG)

Kerala State Handicapped Persons Welfare Corporation proposes to help the Self-Help Groups of handicapped persons in different parts of the state for undertaking Micro projects like pickle making, Embroidery works, Artificial Ornaments making, Curry powder making, snacks making, Raw Rice powder business, etc. Projects suitable to the group will be selected and assistance to start the project will be extended by the Corporation.   An amount of  Rs. 5000/- as subsidy is provided to each SHG.  One or more self help groups consisting minimum of 5 handicapped persons including parents of the mentally retarded persons will be selected in panchayats/Municipalities and corporation across the State.  The Group should be duly registered and graded by the local bodies.

9.    Old Age Home at Parassala.

One of the main objectives of the Kerala State Handicapped Persons’ Welfare Corporation is to establish and maintain institutions for the handicapped, including sheltered workshops, destitute Homes etc.  National policy for persons with disability envisaged provisions for destitute homes for physically challenged persons.  One old age home is functioning at Parassala.

The Objectives of the schemes are as follows:
1.    To provide shelter, food, clothing and care to the physically challenged men/women living with no social support.
2.    To provide physiotherapic assistance and other medical facilities is as required.
3.    To expose the inmates to various recreation tools.
4.    To engage the inmates, according to their physical and mental capacity for income generating activities, both skilled and unskilled.
5.    To provide mobile medi-care service for the aged.
The District Panchayat, Thiruvananthapuram has allotted a land and building at Kollayil Grama Panchayat for setting up the Disabled Home.  Sree Sathyasai Orphanage Trust, Sasthamangalam also assists in running this Old Age Home

10. State Resource Centre

State Resource Centre has been set up at the Head Quarters of KSHPWC Thiruvananthapuram with a Rehabilitation expert.  Functions of the State Resource Centre are:-

1. To collect, collate, classify, grade and store in a retrievable  format all the information and data available in Kerala State, in other States Nationwide, under Govt. of India Ministries, Public sector Bodies and undertakings and from international arena   regarding all categories and all aspects of   disabilities and concerned rehabilitation programmes and activities and to facilitate retrievable and availability of such information and data to all government, public sector, non Government departments and agencies to make the best use of them in the rehabilitation activities for the disabled.
2. To serve as a resource guidance and technical support cell in the disability sector.
3. To assist in preparation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of projects, programmes, services and activities in the disability sector and to provide consultancy in all areas related to all disabilities on demand/requisition.
4. And later as to service as online call centre to provide such information to the public.

More details about Kerala Governement Schemes

source : http://www.hpwc.kerala.gov.in/