Regional Conference on Deendayal Disabled Rehabilitation Scheme (DDRS)

• 18 Jan 2019

Recently the Department of Empowerment of persons with Disabilities, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment organised Regional Conference on “Deendayal Disabled Rehabilitation Scheme (DDRS)” in Mumbai.

• It was the second of a series of Regional Conferences to be held across the country wherein Programme Implementing Agencies (PIAs) from the western region namely, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Goa participated.
• Since this scheme was revised in 2018, the Regional Conference was organized in order to disseminate the provisions of the revised scheme and bring the Department closer to implementing agencies.

Deendayal Disabled Rehabilitation Scheme

• DDRS is a Central Sector Scheme of Government of India which is being implemented since 1999 for providing financial assistance to NGOs working for education and rehabilitation of persons with disabilities.
• The objectives of the scheme are:
  • To create an enabling environment to ensure equal opportunities, equity, social justice and empowerment of persons with disabilities.
  • To encourage voluntary action for ensuring effective implementation of the Right of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016.
• NGOs are being given assistance under DDRS for providing a wide range of services to children/persons with disability, e.g.
  • programmes for pre-school and early intervention
  • special education,
  • vocational training and placement
  • community based rehabilitation
  • manpower development
  • psycho-social rehabilitation of persons with mental illness
  • rehabilitation of leprosy-cured persons, etc.
• The "Scheme to Promote Voluntary Action for Persons with Disabilities" was revised and was renamed as the "Deendayal Disabled Rehabilitation Scheme (DDRS) from April 2003.