CHENNAI: The government announced that it will conduct special camps across the state to ensure all persons with disabilities attain self-sufficiency in accessing assistive devices. An allocation of Rs 131.25 crore has been made for the initiative.
While Chief Minister MK Stalin holds the portfolio, the demands for grants in the Assembly were presented by Social Welfare Minister P Geetha Jeevan.
The department also announced that the scheme for providing battery-operated wheelchairs, previously limited to persons with tetraplegia or quadriplegia, will be expanded at a cost of Rs 6.87 crore. It will now cover all persons with disabilities affecting both hands and legs, including those who are unable to use petrol scooters fitted with additional wheels or devices like the NeoBolt wheelchair.
Additionally, commode wheelchairs will be provided to 1,000 persons with muscular dystrophy, spinal cord injuries and multiple disabilities at a cost of Rs 1.2 crore. Electric mobility devices, such as the NeoBolt, which can function both as a battery-operated wheelchair and a three-wheeler will be distributed to 600 persons with disabilities affecting both legs, including those with cerebral palsy and similar conditions, at a cost of Rs 6.30 crore.