WELFARE OF THE DIFFERENTLY ABLED DEPARTMENT IN TAMILNADU

Special School Education •Laptop Computers at no cost provided to 678 Differently Abled students. •Providing 4 sets of free uniforms to 1,720 boys and girls studying in 23 Government Special Schools and 55 students undergoing vocational training at Government Vocational Training Centre for the Blind, Poonamallee at a cost of Rs. 14.31 lakhs. •Enhancement of Scribe Assistance from Rs.100 to Rs. 250 per paper for 500 Visually Impaired students studying IX to XII Standard at a total cost of Rs. 27. 65 lakhs. •To prevent drop outs among differently abled students studying 10th, 11th and 12th standards in Government and Government-aided institutions, a cash incentive of Rs.1500 for 10th and 11th Standard students and Rs.2,000/- for 12th Standard students is given. Total beneficiaries: 1,400 students at the cost of Rs.22.34 lakhs. •Enhancement of Feeding Grant in Government and Government-aided Institutions from Rs.450/- to Rs.650/- per month for each student. •Provision of Cash Award to Visually Impaired and Hearing Impaired students securing State Ranks in 10th standard and 12th standard Public Exams conducted by the Government. For 12th standard, Rs.50,000/- for State 1st rank holder, Rs.30,000/- for State 2nd rank holder, Rs. 20,000/- for State 3rd rank holder; For 10th standard, Rs. 25,000 for State 1st rank holder, Rs.20,000 for State 2nd rank holder, and Rs 15,000/- for State 3rd rank holder at a total cost of Rs. 3,20,000/-. •22 Government Special Schools are provided with Solar Water heaters at the cost of Rs.15 lakhs. •To identify the hearing impaired, Auditory Brain Stem Response Audiometry Centres at Tiruchi and Coimbatore to be established at a cost of Rs.39 lakhs. •A sum of Rs.2 crores is allotted for construction of Hostel Buildings at the Government Higher Secondary School, Poonamallee. •3% houses are reserved for differently abled persons under Chief Minister’s Green Houses Scheme. Employment and Training •Free Vocational Training Programme (Modular Employable Skill programme) is conducted in all the 32 Districts at the Government and Private Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) with Lodging and Boarding facilities at a cost of Rs.74.88 Lakhs. 2,400 Differently Abled persons were the beneficiaries. •High Level Committee was constituted as ordered by the Hon’ble Chief Minister under the Chairmanship of Chief Secretary to monitor the implementation of 3% reservation for Differently Abled Persons in Government employment. •321 differently abled persons were employed through the Special Exams conducted by Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission for the backlog vacancies identified for the posts of Junior Assistants, Typists and Steno-Typists under Group IV category. •Providing job opportunities for 100 days to differently-abled persons with full daily wages for 4 hours work under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme — the first of its kind in India. •182 differently abled teachers were recruited by ‘Teachers Recruitment Board’ Maintenance Allowance •Monthly Maintenance Allowance given to persons with severe disability / mental retardation / muscular dystrophy was enhanced from Rs.500/- to Rs.1000/-. 1.05 lakh persons are getting allowance under this scheme at a total cost of Rs.125 crores during 2012-2013. •The percentage of disability is reduced to 45% from 60% for mentally retarded persons to avail all benefits. •Age limit of 45 years is reduced to 18 years for Differently Abled Persons to avail old age pension. •A sum of Rs.1,000 is sanctioned as Maintenance Allowance for 6,161 persons cured of leprosy in the state, at a cost of Rs.2.59 crores. Marriage Assistance •Marriage Assistance of Rs.25,000/- is given to normal persons marrying Visually Impaired / Orthopaedically Differently Abled / Hearing Impaired along with 4 grams Gold for making Thirumangalyam. If the Differently Abled Person who gets married is a Diploma Holder or Graduate, he/she is given Rs.50,000/- with 4 grams Gold Coin for making Thirumangalyam as Marriage Assistance. The target ceiling of 490 beneficiaries fixed for availing Marriage Assistance is withdrawn and all eligible applicants are given Marriage Assistance. 754 beneficiaries are getting benefits at a cost of Rs.3.07 crores. Aids and Appliances •400 Retrofitted Petrol Scooters were distributed to differently abled persons whose legs are affected at Rs.2 crores. •‘Behind the Ear’ Hearing Aids given to 1,000 Children with Hearing Impairment at a cost of Rs.1 crore. •Magnifiers for 500 Visually Impaired students to enable them to read text books given at a cost of Rs.50 lakhs. •Modified special chairs for 600 Cerebral Palsy affected persons provided at the cost of Rs. 36 lakhs. •Modular Artificial limbs (Below knee, Above knee and Below Elbow) for 378 Differently abled persons provided at the cost of Rs.1.05 crore. •Reflecting folding sticks for 5,000 Visually Impaired Persons given at a cost of Rs. 10 lakhs. •Motorised Sewing Machines given to 1,600 Differently Abled Persons at the cost of Rs.72 lakhs. •Aids and Appliances for 5,388 differently abled persons provided at the cost of Rs.75 lakhs. Early Intervention Centres and Adult Homes for Mentally Retarded •18 Early Intervention Centers are functioning for the Visually Impaired children in the age group of 0-6 years in 18 Districts at a cost of Rs. 57.02 Lakhs. •The Government has sanctioned Rs.2 crores to run 20 Special Homes for Mentally Retarded men and women. Medical Insurance Scheme •Hon’ble Chief Minister has ordered the extension of the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme to all the family Members without income ceiling, even if one among them is a Differently Abled Person. Construction of Buildings •A sum of Rs.2 crores is allotted for construction of Hostel Buildings at the Government Higher Secondary School, Poonamallee, and for modernizing the kitchen and renovation of Braille Press. •New Buildings with Modernized kitchen will be constructed for use of inmates of three Government Rehabilitation Homes at Paranur, Y.Puduppatti and Pudukkottai at a total cost of Rs.5.21 crores. Bus Travel Concession •11,51,099 beneficiaries benefited to the tune of Rs.17.45 crores by availing the 75 per cent travel concession in mofussil buses.