Most people working in the caregiving sector say that although there are many programs offered by the government for people with disabilities as well as carers, such as pensions, health insurance and transport benefits, there is no ease of access . , Photo credit: Sudhakara Jain
In their journey of caring for persons with disabilities, caregivers – who may be close family members, close friends or dedicated professionals – face their share of obstacles. From the challenges of caring for those in need to accessing benefits provided by the government, caregivers have to go through a lot.
Today, while many institutions have come up in the city that take care of persons with disabilities and create a support system for family members, there still exist institutions where children with disabilities are denied entry , which demand higher fees and parents are often contacted whenever the child needs assistance. Finding an institution or school that best suits their child’s needs is a common challenge.
the ordeal of finding a school
Archana Bathija, whose son has an intellectual disability, moved to Bengaluru a few years back. She said that finding the right school for her was “a big problem”. “I had to change some schools. While some did not take care of him properly, some denied entry because he was a teenage boy. In one school, the situation was so bad that if she had cough and cold and sneezed, they would call parents to clean cupboards and tables,” she recounted. He finally found the Association for the Mentally Challenged (AMC), where he was taken without question.
The mother of a child with Down syndrome said the first challenge is figuring out how to deal with a child with a disability. Parents of such children stress the need to create more awareness in health care facilities to help them make informed decisions about the type of schools, vocational options, and medical care available.
Gayatri, a caregiver at the AMC, said, “There is a government pension scheme for disabled children, but they need workshops and vocational guidance, which would be more sustainable options.” and their families to celebrate World Disabled Day on 3rd December.
Caregivers in professional facilities devote their full day to caring for people of all ages. “With persons with physical disabilities, they mostly require assistance to move around. But people with intellectual disabilities need someone to accompany them throughout the day. Especially during Covid, the constraints of lockdown and human contact With the shortage, it was very difficult to take care of such persons,” explained Arpuda Rajan, Zonal Secretary, Karnataka State Handicapped and Caregivers Federation.
hard to reach
Most of the people working in the caregiving sector say that although many programs like pensions, health insurance and transport benefits have been introduced by the government for persons with disabilities as well as caregivers, they are not easy to access .
“Disabled children live with their families and these families have to make extra efforts as these children are dependent on them for a long period of time, sometimes for life. Therefore, they need pension, insurance, employment reservation, dependent workshops and vocational training There needs to be more support in terms of parenting. There should also be facilities where these children can stay for the rest of their lives even in the absence of their parents.”