District Disabled Rehabilitation Center, Balaghat

The District Disability Rehabilitation Centre (DDRC) is a nation wide program of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Goverment of India. The objective of the program is to provide total rehabilitation to all the persons with disabilities at the District Centre itself. District Centres are being established in collaboration with the state governments by the National Institutes, DRCs and ALIMCO.

According to concept paper on initiating rehabilitation services, it is estimated that in India, 5% or about 50 million persons suffer from some disability. Further, 75% of people live in rural areas and another 15% in small or medium towns where no rehabilitation services have been provided. In other words, about 90% of persons with disabilities live in areas where no rehabilitation services have been provided. Even in the areas/location where services have been provided, the coverage is limited, thereby leaving 95% of disabled not being provided with any services.

One of the biggest challenges, therefore, is providing rehabilitation services to the unreached persons with disabilities living in rural areas and small towns. Accessibility is being increasingly realised as a critical element in the process of rehabilitation. Without barrier free environment and assistive devices, many other services (vocational training, education, placement), lose their effectiveness.