Support Snehabhavan -Kottayam

Disability - Global Scenario

About 15% of the world’s population lives with some form of disability and 2-4% among them experience severe difficulties in day-to-day functioning. According to the United Nations, of the one billion population of persons with disabilities globally, 80% live in developing countries. The World Bank data shows that the number of persons with disabilities in India ranges between 40 and 80 million, making India a nation with the highest number of disabled people. Disability is extremely challenging and a person living with it has to fight daily battles for the most basic rights and to be included in the mainstream. Those who have a disability and come from impoverished households are even worse off and face greater difficulties in getting education, training and rehabilitation. The global COVID-19 crisis further deepened existing inequalities and exclusion, making persons with disabilities among the hardest hit.

Indian Realities

Though the Constitution of India guarantees equal status to all our citizens, due to various psycho-social, cultural and structural reasons, the persons with disability face stigma, discrimination and neglect. Unfortunately, there is a widespread underestimation of their abilities and potentials because of a general public perception and prejudices, that has created a vicious circle of underachievement.

2011 census estimates only about 2.21 per cent of Indian population has disability and identified 8 categories. However, the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016 recognizes 21 categories of disabilities. While the 2021 Indian census data is yet to be published, several new studies across the world and the census data of other countries suggests that approximately 15-20 per cent of population around the world are born with or suffer due to some form of disabilities. The high rate of accidents of different forms in the modern society, including wars and natural/ manmade calamities adds to this to create a cumulative effect. Indian scenarios too are not very different.

In the last ------ years, Snehabhavan- Kottayam has positively affected over -------- such adults and made life-altering changes in over -------- lives.

Our service users have experienced a big shift in their self-esteem, self-dependence and productivity. They have learnt skills like personal grooming and hygiene, household and financial management, personal-social skills, occupational guidance and employability skills.

We invite you to partner with us in this great cause of nurturing “life in abundance” for those whose lives are otherwise darkened by societal attitudes and political apathy. We encourage you to contribute a small portion of your income for this worthy cause of lighting the lives of those who are less fortunate for no fault of theirs.