L V Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) and Tech Mahindra Foundation have joined hands to provide community based rehabilitation in urban areas. The collaboration aims at providing comprehensive rehabilitation intervention in the areas of health, education and skill development to the people with blindness and multiple handicapped.

Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) is an initiative of the Vision Rehabilitation Services Centers (VRSC) of LVPEI. The aim of this programme is to provide services and opportunities to the visually impaired and persons with multiple disabilities, building on community initiatives and local resources. Now the VRSC of LVPEI, together with Tech Mahindra Foundation, has announced their new project Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) in the urban slums of Ranga Reddy District, Hyderabad.

Indira Munjuluri, vice president and global head for retail, CPG, Transportation and Logistics business, Tech Mahindra, inaugurated the project on June 7.

The project aims to provide comprehensive rehabilitation intervention in areas of health, education, economic independence, social inclusion and independent skill development to people with blindness, low vision and the multi-handicapped.

A team of trained community field workers and rehab professionals including special educator, physiotherapist and speech therapist will provide door-to-door intervention to the needy people. The project will be implemented in the urban slums of Madhapur, Chandanagar, Hafeezpet, Lingampalli, Kukatpalli and Borabanda areas covering a population of 1,50,000.
Speaking on the occasion, V C Kumar, COO, Tech Mahindra Foundation said, “the CBR project will be very successful, given their high levels of commitment, experience and passion in the field of vision rehabilitation. We are glad to be able to contribute our bit to society through this project.”

Dr Gullapalli N Rao, Founder and Chair, L V Prasad Eye Institute said that the CBR programme seeks to mobilise disabled people and their families to facilitate their widest possible involvement in mainstream rural and urban development.

After one year, the CBR project expects to complete vision screening for 1, 50,000 households through door-to-door survey and provide Rehabilitation intervention to around 800 people with blindness, low vision and additional disabilities. Under this project it is also expected that 16 self-help groups are formed apart from conducting community awareness programmes.

Overall the CBR project aims to provide equal opportunities to disabled people, and promote and protect their fundamental rights, with the ultimate aim of integrating them into mainstream society.