Chennai: Tamil Nadu assembly speaker J C D Prabhakar on Saturday opened a centre for free therapy and rehabilitation services for persons with disabilities at the Greater Chennai Corporation-run Chennai Special School for Muscular Dystrophy at Teynampet.Set up by the department for the welfare of differently abled persons on the school’s first floor, the centre will offer occupational therapy, speech therapy, psychiatric care and physiotherapy. It has special education rooms for cognitive development and communication skills and vocational training facilities. A newly installed lift makes the floor accessible to wheelchair users.The centre, ‘Vizhuthugal’, has already got beneficiaries.For 21-year-old Aravind K R, a former student of the school, the need for physiotherapy did not end after education. “Physiotherapy sessions at home are expensive. If I need to travel to a clinic far away, I need to find a wheelchair-friendly cab, which adds to the cost,” he said. It’s a similar story with Srinivas H, a passed-out student of the school, who is now a freelance designer.School head N Gomathi said such challenges are common among persons with muscular dystrophy, for which there is no cure and regular physiotherapy is crucial to preserving mobility and quality of life. Founded by neurologist Dr V Vishwanathan along with the GCC, the school has 23 students.The centre is expected to bridge a long-standing gap in access to healthcare for families of persons with disabilities in the locality.Srinivasan, district differently abled welfare officer, Chennai South, said the department’s mobile therapy unit would provide rehabilitation services at the homes of persons with disabilities once a week. “Family members will also be trained to continue exercises and provide care at home,” he said.Prabhakar said the department for the welfare of differently abled persons was making significant progress. “Only when you receive education, skill training, employment opportunities and job security, do you truly realise your rights. The government is working towards this,” he said.
