Expanding Participation of People with Disabilities in India

Implementing Partners: Unmeed Child Development Center

Funding Period: July 2008 - January 2010

Funding Amount: $193,470

In USAID/India, the UNMEED Child Development program works to build the professional capacities of those providing direct services to people with disabilities. The program focuses on developing services for children with developmental disabilities, as these services currently do not exist in the country.

Project activities include the provision of training for future speech therapists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and behavior therapists.

UNMEED is working in phases to implement this program, first developing curriculums for training and then conducting a pilot training for each occupation. The progam seeks out candidates for the first phase of the training program among parents, siblings, and teachers of people with disabilities, and others who have previous experience working with individuals with disabilities. The program also works to obtain university affiliation in order that its programs may be sustainable.