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Andhra Pradesh has the distinct record of establishing an independent department in 1983 named as Disabled Welfare Department and an independent corporation for the welfare of disabled named as Andhra Pradesh Vikalangula Cooperative Corporation in 1981.

Andhra Pradesh has the unique advantage of Secretariat Department with Principal Secretary, Women Development, Child Welfare and Disabled Welfare as Secretary with strategies of multi sectoral co-ordination in the important areas of Women, Children and Disabled.

The Commissioner, Disabled Welfare is the Head of the Department. He is the Chief Controlling Officer. The Head of the Department is assisted by two Deputy Directors and two Assistant Directors in discharging administrative, planning and executive functions. Three more officers namely Accounts Officer, Placement Officer and Physical Director also assist the Commissioner in discharging various other functions.

The Disabled Welfare Department has got District Offices in all 23 districts headed by the Assistant Director, Disabled Welfare. The schemes of the department are implemented by the Assistant Director through the District Collector. There are no sub-district level functionaries i.e., at mandal level and village level to this department.

Andhra Pradesh has taken several pro-active measures for translating the rights of disabled as conferred as per Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995 into a reality.

Andhra Pradesh is the first state in the country to launch State Action Plan (1998-2020) with long term strategies of empowerment of disabled in the entire range of activities viz. Prevention, Early detection, Early intervention, Education, Employment, Rehabilitation and Mainstreaming.

Andhra Pradesh is also the first state in the country to launch Campaign Mode of Development concept for empowerment of differently abled persons to create awareness and motivation on the rights of disabled, and promote multi sectoral coordination and campaign for empowerment of differently abled.

Andhra Pradesh’s strength lies in the Commissioner, Disabled Welfare (Head of the Department) being the State Commissioner of Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995 promoting the Rights of Disabled as well as welfare measures.

With District Collectors heading District level committees under Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995 a true pro-active campaign for the empowerment of disabled is a reality in Andhra Pradesh for the past 7-8 years.

37 Hostels and 3 Homes are functioning under the control of Disabled Welfare Department with a sanctioned strength of 3580 boarders. 11 Residential Schools (5 for visually impaired, 6 for hearing impaired), one residential junior college each for visually impaired and hearing impaired are functioning with a sanctioned strength of 1850 inmates. 25 persons are imparted special training every year through training center for teachers of visually impaired at Hyderabad.

Andhra Pradesh is also the first state in the country to implement various welfare schemes through People Centered Developmental Campaigns and to create awareness and motivation on the rights of disabled, and promote multi sectoral coordination through camp approach.

A.P. Vikalangula Cooperative Corporation is also extending various welfare programmes for the disabled in the State since 1981. Activities of A.P. Vikalangula Cooperative Corporation are reoriented to give fillip to vocational training and self employment of disabled persons.

Corporate Hospitals, Corporate sector industries and International donor agencies are actively participating in empowerment of disabled.

Special efforts are being put in for creation of Barrier Free Environment and promotion of access of disabled to educational institutions, work places and all public and private utility buildings. Increased efforts are being put in for promotion of Community Based Rehabilitation for extending the out reach of rehabilitation services to rural areas.

Self Help Groups of persons with disabilities have been formed and functioning in some of the districts. Empowerment of Women Disabled is promoted through formation of self-help groups, micro-credit and federation of women groups as part of a major campaign for empowerment of women in Andhra Pradesh.

Two districts are covered viz. Visakhapatnam and Anantapur under District Rehabilitation Centre Scheme and two districts viz. Krishna and Visakhapatnam are covered with NPRPD since 2000-2001. Training programmes and rehabilitation services are being implemented through C.B.R. workers.

Education for all is promoted by networking with the efforts of DPEP, in inclusive education, promoting teacher training and parents counseling for improving the levels of literacy among the Disabled. Networking with the efforts of D.P.I.P., D.P.E.P., D.F.I.D., Employment Generation Mission, Literacy Mission etc., taken up.

Vocational Trainings are being given to disabled persons every year through various Government and Non-Governmental Organisations, Institutes in the State with emphasis on self-employment. Efforts are being put in to promote Employment in private sector also.

Disabled Welfare Department is coordinating with various functionaries, members of SHGs, functionaries of DRCs and DDRCs and other concerned Government and Non Governmental Organisations for effective delivery of rehabilitation services.

The best practices being implemented for Disabled Welfare in other States as well as other Countries are also being studied and attempting policy reforms to whatever extent feasible. Major Administrative reforms to reorient the officials and NGO for campaigning for the rights of disabled already taken up.

Andhra Pradesh is the first State in the Country in launching the Performance Monitoring System for assessing the performance of the department and grading the functionaries at State, district and sub-district levels. The Performance of the department is monitored through Performance Indicators and the performance of the functionaries through Process Indicators. The Performance Indicators are set covering the mandate and important schemes of the department.

Source: http://apdwd.org/content/about.html

Schemes and Initiatives

1. Concerned Officer :
The Secretary to Government
Women’s Development, Child Welfare and Labour Department,
Govt. of Andhra Pradesh Secretariat
Hyderabad.

2. Reservation:

a) In Govt. Job: In Gr.’C’ and ‘D’ posts under the Govt. reservation are provided in direct recruitment for physically handicapped persons as indicated below :

b) In Educational Institutions :

2% seats are reserved in I.T.I’s
3% seats are reserved in Govt. B.Ed colleges and T.T.C’s
1% each in 3 regions of the Engineering Colleges of State of A.P
¼% in MBBS course

c) In Fair Price Shop

3% reservation is given to PH persons in allotment of fair price shop by Civil Supply Department. Priority is given to PH persons in sanction of ration card.

d) In Housing Board :

- 2% quota in the houses constructed by the A.P. Housing Board is reserved for handicapped persons under hire purchase scheme. The handicapped beneficiaries are allowed to pay the contribution for allotment of houses in instalments.

3. Age relaxation : The upper age limit is relaxed by 10 years for handicapped persons for applying in Govt. jobs.

4. Scholarship/stipend : The State Govt. awards scholarship to the disabled students (OH/VH/HH) at the following rate :

In addition to OH students who are severely disabled are also eligible for Rs.50/-p.m. and Rs.25/-p.m towards Conveyance Allowance and Prosthetic/Orthotic Maintenance Allowance respectively. Further, the VH students are also eligible for an amount of Rs.50/-,75/- and 100/- p.m. towards reader allowance as per the Courses/Classes (as the case may be.)

5. Disability Pension : The State Govt. has sanctioned disability pension @ Rs.75/-p.m to disabled irrespective of age.

6. Unemployment allowance : Rs. 50/- p.m. is offered to unemployed disabled persons in the age group of 18 to 60 years and to those whose two limbs are deformed and whose annual income is less than Rs. 12,000/-p.a

7. Conveyance allowance : The State Govt. have been allowing conveyance allowance to their employees who are totally blind or Orthopaedically Handicapped at the rate of 10% of basic pay subject to maximum of Rs.175/- The same concession is also applicable to the employees working in the Public Sector Undertakings, State Electricity Board and Universities.

8. Bus Concession : The disabled persons are entitled to free bus journey in the city and in the suburban buses with escorts. In other buses they get 50% concession.

9. Economic assistance for self employment :

a) Loan amount upto Rs.3000/- with subsidy are provided to the disabled persons for opening a stall. An advance of Rs.500/- is also provided for the opening a booth and nominal rates are charged afterwards.

b) Subsidy on loan : Free grant upto Rs.3000/- with subsidy to an extent of 30% is given. On direct loans the subsidy rate is 50%. When banks come forward to sanction loan, they will be sanctioned subsidy out of this scheme.

c) Implementation of 3% reservation in selection of beneficiaries for self employment in IRDP schemes.

d) Loans available to disabled persons at different rate of interest from State Financial Corporation and other Financial Institution

10. Concession/grace time in exams : Grace time of 30 minutes is given to the blind in all exams upto secondary level. They are also exempted from drawing diagrams and location of diagrams, language exemption is available for deaf.

11. Incentive for Marrying a disabled : An incentive of Rs. 3000/- is offered to normal person for marrying a disabled.

12. Exemption in Professional Tax/Road Tax : Professional tax exemption is available to completely blind and to crippled persons.

13. Assistance for purchase of aids and appliances : Free aids and appliances are given to those handicapped persons whose parent’s annual income is not more than Rs. 14,400/-. 50% concession is given to those disabled person whose parent’s annual income is between Rs.14,000/- to Rs. 30,000/-

14. Other facilities:

i) Hostel facilities : Handicapped students are provided free boarding and lodging facility at the rate of not exceeding Rs.210/- p.m. Inmates are paid Rs.100/- per annum for clothing. Diet charges of Rs. 240/- p.m. is also provided to the adults in Govt. Homes for Physically Handicapped.

ii) Relaxation of age for admission in I.T.I’s : 10 years of age relaxation is given for the disabled students for admission in I.T.I’s.

iii) Financial assistance to law graduates: An amount of Rs.1700/- is given to the handicapped law graduates to enrolment in Bar Council. Financial assistance for purchase of books is also given to them.

iv) Free tape recorder is given to the blind students and cassettes on loan basis duly enrolling the students in sound library as per the guidelines worked out from time to time.

v) Readers allowance available for visually handicapped lecturers and teachers on slab basis ranging from Rs. 200 to Rs. 300/- p.m.

vi) Reimbursement of tuition fees to the professionals to the extent of Rs. 4000/- p.a.

vii) Training Centres for Teachers of Visually Handicapped: 22 teachers are being imparted training in one academic year with a view to provide qualified teachers to teach the blind under NIVH.

viii) Residential schools : 4 Residential schools for visually handicapped and another 4 residential schools for hearing handicapped are being run.

ix) Homes and Hostels: 42 Homes and Hostels for Orthopaedically Handicapped/Visually Handicapped/Hearing Handicapped/Aged Women are being run through out the state.

x) Separate Institution for Partially Deaf Children: A separate Institution exclusively for the partially deaf children is being run for providing education upto Class VIII.

xi) Scholarship to Mentally Retarded Children : An amount of Rs.1000/- is being sanctioned as scholarship to M.R children admitted into special school meant for them and whose parents income does not exceed Rs.12,000/-p.a This scheme is limited to children who are not admitted into such special school run by NGOs who are not in receipt of grant in aid from Govt. of India.

xii) Reimbursement of tuition fee to Pre-Matric and Post Matric students : Under the scheme, an amount of Rs. 25/- p.m. is paid to the handicapped students who are studying in the private school recognised by the Govt. and post metric students (IXth and above) are reimbursed tuition fees @ Rs. 500/-p.a whose parents/guardian’s annual income does not exceed Rs. 12,000/-p.a.

xiii) Scholarship to Research Scholars : An amount of Rs. 400/-p.m as stipend and Rs. 1000/-p.a towards contigencies is being sanctioned to research scholars for pursuing M. Phil and Ph. D courses.

xiv) Integrated scheme is being implemented by Education Department in the state in 46 identified schools for deaf and blind.

Source: http://www.ayjnihh.nic.in/awareness/schemes4_files/schemes7.htm