CHENNAI: Chief Minister MK Stalin flagged off the ‘Vizhuthugal’ mobile outreach and therapy vehicles readied under the World Bank-sponsored RIGHTS Project on Thursday. These vehicles will serve persons with disabilities (PWD) who cannot access the one-stop centres being planned under the same initiative. The mobile units will be equipped with facilities for physiotherapy, occupational therapy, audio-speech therapy and special education. They will ply along predetermined routes and those in need can avail of the services.
“The mobile vehicles will be attached to the one-stop centres. The first centre was opened in Kannagi Nagar. Soon, 11 more such centres will be opened in five districts and mobile units will be there as well,” said an official. The ‘Vizhuthugal’ vehicles will mainly focus on people residing on the farther end of the zone that houses the one-stop centre, he added. The department is planning to eventually open 273 one-stop centres in the state.
Stalin also inaugurated the Centre for Excellence for Persons with Autism Spectrum Disorder at the Government Rehabilitation Centre in KK Nagar. Built at a cost of Rs 15 crore, the centre aims to provide comprehensive rehabilitation therapies under one roof for persons with autism.
Many parents of autistic children struggle with a lack of proper guidance and the centre seeks to address this gap, said officials. The facility will offer services such as identification, assessment, special education, audio-speech therapy, daycare, vocational training and psychological services.
The CM further announced that the 35 Primary Intervention Centres for disabled persons functioning under the health department have been upgraded to integrated service centres. During the event, awards were presented to 16 PWD for achievements in various fields. Marking the golden jubilee of the scheme to provide assistive devices to PWD, the government will also distribute assistive devices worth Rs 130 crore to 26,000 beneficiaries this year. Over the past three years, devices worth Rs 211 crore have been distributed to one lakh PWD.