'Vizhuthugal': 1st one-stop centre in Chennai's Kannagi Nagar to provide key services to persons with disability
The accessibility facilities in the one-stop centre will benefit PwDs in Perungudi and Sholinganallur, thereby putting an end to their ordeal of venturing into distant places to access various welfare schemes, aids and facilities.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin
CHENNAI: Under the TN Rights Project, Chief Minister MK Stalin on Monday inaugurated ‘Vizhuthugal’, a one-stop centre for Persons with Disability (PwD) at Kannagi Nagar near Thoraipakkam. This facility is the first among the 273 centres under the Rs 1,773 crore initiative funded by the World Bank.
The accessibility facilities in the one-stop centre will benefit PwDs in Perungudi and Sholinganallur, thereby putting an end to their ordeal of venturing into distant places to access various welfare schemes, aids and facilities.
It is to be noted that based on the DT Next’s report, on July 20, - “3 years on, Rs 1,700 crore project to empower PwDs remains on paper”- CM in August sought the status of the report and directed the officials of the Department of Welfare of Differently-abled to expedite the project. Subsequently, Stalin, on Monday, along with Minister for Health and Family Welfare Ma Subramanian, inaugurated the one-stop centre refurbished at the cost of Rs 3.08 crore.
This centre is aimed at providing both physical and mental rehabilitation services for PwDs.
The main highlight of the one-stop centre at Kannagi Nagar is that it will offer six rehabilitation services occupational therapy, audiology, speech therapy and special education, optometry, physiotherapy and psychological counselling under one roof for PwDs. The area is equipped with advanced accessibility features like emergency detection and panic buzzers.
Additionally, the beneficiaries for the one-stop centre will be identified through a social registry enrolment survey and an Aavin milk booth run by a PwD entrepreneur.
“The TN government has chosen Kannagi Nagar, one of the socially and economically developing areas of Chennai district, to establish a one-stop centre for PwDs and provide key services at the location,” read a government press note.
The statement further noted that services will be provided at the Kannagi Nagar centre to persons with diagnosed disabilities as per the survey conducted by the Department of Welfare of Differently-abled.