INTRODUCTION TO THE NGO

Shree Ramana Maharishi Academy for the Blind (SRMAB) is a non-government, non-profit
organization located in J.P Nagar, Bangalore. It provides assistance of various kinds to blind
and disabled children. From a humble beginning of providing education, food and
accommodation to one visually challenged student in 1969, Shree Ramana Maharishi Academy
for the Blind (SRMAB), till date, has assisted more than thousands of persons with disabilities
to lead an independent life with dignity. While seeking spiritual enlightenment, the founder
president, Shri. T.V. Srinivasan, Late Thirumurthy and a few friends, were inspired by the
simplicity and thoughtfulness of the great guru Bhagavan Ramana Maharishi and motivated to
take social action.

This motivation only grew over time and today SRMAB operates two NGO’s which helps
people of all disabilities. SRMAB believes in a participative rights-based barrier-free society,
which enables the differently abled persons to enjoy life. People with disabilities are
empowered so that they actively participate in community events and are able to contribute to
the society. SRMAB provides education, accommodation, vocational training and
rehabilitation, livelihood support, and social empowerment to persons with disabilities. All
services are provided free of cost to the beneficiaries.

Vision
“All people with disabilities should have the opportunity to fulfil their potential and lead an
independent life with self-respect and dignity.”

Mission
To breakdown the social barriers and provides opportunities for differently abled people to
integrate into societal mainstream as self-reliant members.

Values
To develop a participative, rights-based, barrier-free society, which enables the differently
abled persons to live life to the fullest. People with disabilities are empowered so that they
actively participate in community events and are able to contribute to the society.

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 ACTIVITIES OF THE NGO

School/Institutional Based Training

SRMAB offers special education to children with visual impairment, with free lodging,
boarding & medical care facilities from pre-school to X class in English medium. The
curriculum is at par with mainstream schools and follows the Karnataka SSLC Board. SRMAB
has a total of 140 blind and disabled children studying there. Out of the 140 students, 110
students reside in SRMAB’s boarding facility, whereas the remaining 30 are day boarders.

The school follows State syllabus education starting from pre-school to class 10th. The medium
of communication with the students is with Braille. A unique feature of the entire program –
earn while you learn - is imparting vocational training along with education in trades such
packaging unit, horticulture, dairy, and computers. Mile stone activity is encouraging the
children learn classical, instrumental music, classical form of dance viz Bharathanatyam,
Kuchipudi etc., which are imparted, by renowned artists. The children have excelled and
regularly perform to larger audience’s all over the country and abroad.

Computer education is also a part of the syllabus of the students. Daily living skills, orientation
and mobility is taught to the children from preschool level. SRMAB provides vocational
rehabilitation for people who are differently abled through their packaging unit, which
manufactures cardboard boxes, and their dairy unit.

Physical education, games and sports are also a part of the curriculum, regular representation
has won many a laurel in the state, national & international meets.

SRMAB also provides Training and a Diploma in Special Education to over 40 candidates.
These candidates then go on to become teachers specializing in teaching disabled children. The
duration of the course is 2 years and helps in the overall development of the teachers for a
better understanding of the special education needs of the children.

Another course offered by SRMAB is vocational training. Vocational training is education that
prepares people to work in a trade, a craft, as a technician, or in professional vocations such
as engineering, accountancy, nursing, medicine, architecture, or law. SRMAB provides
vocational training for over 40 children in the fields of manufacturing packaging and allied

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products, horticulture and dairy farming. They also train their children in various other fields
which benefit them in the future.

Rural Development Centre

Thirumurthy Rural Development Centre is a unit of SRMAB, which was initiated in the year
1985 to provide free of cost service to adult person’s with visually impairment & other
disabilities such as speech & Hearing, mentally challenged, physically challenged and others.
The centre provides two years agro-based training program which facilitates them to livelihood
options with social integration.

The rural center which is located at Jakkasandra Road, Maralavadi Hobli, Kanakapura Taluk,
Ramanagara Rural District was initiated to provide service to people with disabilities such as
speech and hearing impairment, intellectual disability, locomotor disability, visual impairment
and other disabilities. The center provides education, food, accommodation as well as two years
agro-based training program, which includes sericulture, poultry, horticulture, agriculture, and
dairy.

The Agro-Based training includes both theoretical and practical aspects in field of Beekeeping,
Sericulture, Poultry, Fishery, Horticulture, Agriculture and Dairy. During the first year,
trainees undergo training in all the courses depending upon the efficiency and interest of the
trainee. After completion & specialization the trainees are assisted to employment or self-
employment opportunities.

Special school provides education to speech & hearing impaired and functional literary to
mentally challenged children. These children are integrated to normal school at their home
towns at a later stage, with appropriate support system and follow-up.

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Human Resource Development
Rehabilitation of people with disabilities is an integral and progressive part of the development
movement. This not being possible by a cluster of NGO’s, SRMAB identifying - the
importance to reach out to a larger audience, Incited HRD courses to train the trainers in the
field of education and CBR.

Courses offered from SRMAB in the realm on Human Resource Development are:

1. D.Ed. in Special Education (VI):

A regular course of SRMAB, this course has a duration of 2 years. It is formally Recognized
by RCI Under Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, New Delhi.

The Admission procedure is as follows: Entrance test to be conducted by RCI in the month of
April - May.

Classes start on 1st July every year. Semester Scheme. Affiliated to NIVH,
Dehradun. Eligibility is 10+2 or PUC with 50% marks.

2. Short Term Course:

• Foundation Course on Education of Children with Disabilities

• Foundation Course on Education of Learning with Disabilities

These are RCI recognized courses for 90 days’ programs.

The Admission Procedure is as follows: Online Registration form. The candidate has to
register on the 1st week of every month through online an online application form. The Intake
capacity of the course is 20 students.

Eligibility: Any in-service Teachers.

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Dance

Special children learn classical music, classical dance (Bharatanatyam), yoga, playing musical
instruments, etc., which are taught by renowned artists in the respective field. The children
have excelled and they regularly give stage performances, both within India and abroad.

Dance and music as part of extracurricular activity was introduced in the year 1973. In the year
1982 we started teaching dances in classical style by touch and feel method for the first time
to the composition of Bhagawan Ramana to the students of the Academy.

From the year 1983 to date the students have toured and performed in about 2000 shows in
India and have toured UK, US & Italy.

Horticulture/Gardening

This is one of the vocational training facilities of the Academy, which follows a very simplistic
approach in training the persons with disability, to acquire skills. This would benefit the
trainees towards employment or self-employment opportunities. SRMAB has a large garden
which plant screen facilities which enable proper growth of plants.

SRMAB has no full time employees dedicated for their horticulture activities and rely mostly
on volunteers. They also use their garden as a source of vocational training for the children,
where they learn gardening and water the plants. SRMAB claims that the gardening activities
act as a method of relaxing the children as it helps them connect with nature embrace their
natural surroundings.

Corporate and other Activities related to horticulture:

1. Corporate workshops & talks are conducted by Mr. Srinivas who has won several national
& international awards for horticulture activities and competitions
2. Training-on-plant-grooming
3. Gift-a-plant services for employee birthdays and other occasions
4. Vocational Training
5. Renting of plants to wedding halls

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6. Training on Ikebana and Bonsai
7. Horticulture visit for school children

Manufacturing Packaging and Allied Products

SRMAB has an in-house factory which manufactures corrugated cardboard boxes for the
packaging industry. It employs 6 full time employees and 40 vocational training candidates.
The candidates work for no salary and work mostly to acquire experience and insight into the
manufacturing process. The boxes are produced depending on the quantity of the order and
demand for their product.

The factory is also used as a source of vocational training for the blind children as it has positive
effects on the children’s ability to interpret their external environment.

Dairy Farming

SRMAB owns and operates a dairy farm within its premises. The dairy farm consists of 13
cows and 2 full time employees, both of whom are visually impaired. The cows produce an
average 45-50 litres of milk a day. Most of this milk is used for self-consumption. It is given
to the school’s children, used to make butter and ghee. An average of 35-40 litres of milk is
used by the school each day.

The remaining extra 5-10 litres of milk is sold to neighbourhood homes. SRMAB charges Rs.
40 for each litre of milk. The milk thereby helps the organization to raise additional money
amounting to around Rs. 6000-12000 a month. These funds are then used to buy fodder for the
cows, maintenance of the cow shed and also buy more cows as and when required.

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Radio

SRMAB owns and operates a radio station named SRMAB Radio. It is a community radio
station and broadcasts topics mostly on community related issues and cultural events. It
operates on the 90.4 FM bandwidth. It broadcasts in two languages, namely English and
Kannada. Its radio programmes help educated people about the difficulties faced by people
with disabilities, how they can be helped and the efforts SRMAB is undertaking to do so. It
also informs its listeners ways in which they can make an effort to ease the life to people with
disabilities.

They provide an informative guide on how disabled people can be helped in day to day life. A
detailed voice over brochure is also broadcasted at the end of every programme which informs
its listeners in ways in which they can support SRMAB, both monetarily and by way of gifts.

Community Based Rehabilitation

SRMAB identifies districts and work towards increasing the community awareness about basic
human rights and issues faced by differently-abled persons. Their aim is to ensure inclusion of
differently-abled persons with mainstream community and empower them by providing
education and job opportunities in private and government sectors.

SRMAB conducts its Community based rehabilitation (CBR) programs in semi-urban and rural
areas in Karnataka. The CBR programmes covers 7 districts and SRMAB works with over
16000 people in about 1800 villages.

The objectives of the Community Based Rehabilitation Programmes are:

• To improve functional abilities and avoid secondary deformities.

• To ensure every child and young adult with disability has access to main stream
education.
• To support persons with disabilities and their family members to ensure economic
wellbeing and an improved quality of life.
• To increase level of community awareness about basic human rights and disability
issues.

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 • To ensure inclusion and recognition of disabled people in mainstream community,
private sector and government agencies.

The activities that are a part of the CBR programmes are:

• Health and Medical Rehabilitation

• Education Rehabilitation
• Economic Rehabilitation
• Social Rehabilitation

SRMAB also provides timely intervention and assistance with regard to five matrixes, viz.,
health, education, livelihood, social, and empowerment as given below:

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Training Programmes for CBR activities

SRMAB conducts 2 training programmes for candidates who wish to learn ways in which CBR
activities can be conducted. These candidates are usually social service workers, teachers,
government employees and volunteers. The 2 programmes are:

• Managers Training Programme

• Tharabethi Training Programme

1. Managers Training Programme

Non-profit organisations(NPOs) are increasing more and more in our country. Most of the
NPOs are concentrating on disability and development issues as their primary criteria of service
in the rural area. All most all NPOs are considering community based rehabilitation (CBR) as
the effective tool to implement services in the rural areas. CBR is cost effective and the
organisations can work by involving target group, family and community. This implies more
coverage of services, which is known to be sustainable

The coordinators, supervisors, managers, medical practitioners, paramedical team and officers
of NPOs can now lookup to learn the skills to run community based rehabilitation programmes.
Shree Ramana Maharishi Academy for the Blind has recognised the need to develop these
personals by providing hands on training programme.

A twenty-one-day exclusive training programme is designed and targeted at the above

personals of organizations involved in developing CBR programmes. The training programme
mainly aims to equip the participants with right based approach to initiate, implement, monitor
and evaluate the CBR programme. The training programme includes field level, class level and
the whole training programme will be participatory in approach.

This training programme describes planning process, for use by managers, that can lead to
better basic and referral services for the persons with disabilities in community. The training
is intended for managers of services where the community-based rehabilitation approach has
been adopted.

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2. Tharabethi Training Programme
SRMAB deeply believes that the rehabilitation of people with disability should be addressed
professionally. To facilitate people with disability and to meet their needs through
empowerment approach requires trained personals. The challenge is, to establish inclusive,
barrier free and the right society which facilitates PWDs to mix with the main stream of the
society. If we compare the ratio of service available and the people in need there is a huge
deficiency.

SRMAB has taken bold steps to meet the required needs in the field of rehabilitation, by
initiating human resource development unit to produce trained rehabilitation professionals. The
immediate requirement for the field is grass root level workers who are responsible for service
delivery at the doorstep of PWDs in their own environment on a regular basis.

At present Rehabilitation is not only restricted to class room education but also to rehabilitate
them in a social environment. CBR workers training programme is one of the initiatives of the
academy that aims at providing community based rehabilitation workers to work with
community which includes PWD family members and other stakeholders of the programme.

Paramedical team, supervisors, Teachers, health workers, care givers, field level workers,
volunteers and the persons who are interested to work in the field of community based
rehabilitation can avail this type of training.

The Tharabethi Training Programme is a 100-day course and costs Rs. 20,000. The programme
is conducted at their Rural Development Centre in Kanakapura, Karnataka

Both the Managers Training Programme and the Tharabethi Training Programme cover
modules such as:

• The global scenario

• The concept of CBR
• Disability process
• Principles and components of CBR
• CBR implementation
• Survey techniques (PRA and RRA)

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• Basic need module concepts
• Social module concepts
• Economic module concepts
• Education module concepts
• CBR monitoring and evaluation
• Proposal development
• Project documentation

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