Port Trust chief calls for efforts to rehabilitate differently-abled

Visakhapatnam Port Trust Chairman Ajeya Kallam on Sunday said differently-abled children need special efforts to stand on their own. Inaugurating a daylong workshop on social and communication skills in the disabled, jointly organised by Visakha Psychiatric Society (VPS) and Vivek Parents’ Association, he recalled how in joint families the differently abled children used to get proper guidance and grooming by the grandparents.

Vivek is an institute for the learning backward by training children in speech, language and non-verbal communication. It runs a school near Dr. V.S. Krishna Government College. Mr. Kallam as well as CII Vizag Zone Vice-Chairman G. Sambasiva Rao promised all help to Vivek in rehabilitating differently abled children after their training. The Port Chairman expressed concern at collapse of joint family system and called for sensitisation on societal responsibility to take care of differently abled. He said differently abled children were more close to the Almighty because of their innocence and honesty and their parents more patient than other human beings.

Mr. Sambasiva Rao complimented Vivek for taking up a challenging job and declared that CII was ready to extend any help they needed in carrying out its activity.

Superintendent of Government Hospital for Mental Care M. Vijaya Gopal said society should see the strengths in differently abled children and refrain from looking at their weaknesses. “What these children and their parents need is moral support and recognition of their rights,” dean of Maharajah’s Institute of Medical Sciences (Vizianagaram) T.A.V. Narayana Raju said.

Principal of Andhra Medical College Kalpana Subrahmanyam said parents of differently abled children need counselling and they should also understand the need to spare more time with their children in training them social and communication. She said even medicos need specialised training on how to take care of children with different ability and their parents.

VPS president C. Radhakanth said due to delayed development of milestones, children need proper parental care and specialised training by therapists to improve their communication skills. He said Vivek’s endeavour was to train children and support them for rehabilitation. Psychology Professor from Andhra University M.V.R. Raju, VPS secretary N. Harikrishna and Vivek correspondent C. Sunitha were present.