The rights & dignity of the people with disabilities & working on disability issue have long been a central concern for Ekta which it concentrated since last 23 years. To working with Persons with Disabilities & especially with the Children with Disabilities are our main target population. In this connection, many agencies, i.e. CBR Forum, Actionaid India, VSO International, GiftAble Foundation, Odisha Rising Foundation, Handicap International and Department of Social Security and Empowerment to Person with Disability have come forward by associating with Ekta towards develop developmental partnership and support to the social inclusion of the children with disabilities in Koraput District. We had the opportunity to work for and with the people with disabilities through various interventions in Rayagada & Khordha districts.

In present, Ekta has been implementing “Voice for Disabled and their Carers” (VDC) project in Koraput Municipality, Koraput and Dasmantpur block areas. The project covers 11 Gram Panchayats in the above said areas and provide services to 500 cares family directly and another 500 other family members indirectly. The major objectives behind this intervention is to provide social recognition within the society to the care takers for their selfless services, promote and strengthen the carers groups who will work for addressing their issues, establish linkages and referrals to the health departments for accessing better health services, provide & involve them in various livelihood opportunities and put pressure on Govt. through lobby & advocacy for ascertaining them for rights & entitlements like any other vulnerable groups. To carry forward these things into practice, Ekta has been getting technical support from Carers Worldwide (UK) whereas the financial support by Rangoonwala Foundation India Trust since September, 2017. The project mainly focuses on improve physical and mental health, promote social inclusion and increase household income of target families.  We have been working with 700 people living with mental illness and epilepsy in Koraput, Dasmantpur and Jeypore blocks of Koraput district with medicines, livelihood support and linkages with various agencies. In this process, various stakeholders as well as the District Mental Health Program have provided their need based support and cooperation.

In partnership & support from Department of Social Security & Empowerment of people with disability (Govt. of Odisha), Ekta has been providing therapeutically interventions to 67 children with intellectual disabilities of Koraput district in our centre at Duruguda since 2016 with residential facilities. The major objective of this program is to provide therapeutically support to the children having multiple disabilities, autism, cerebral palsy & mental retarded. The project has also been organizing field based therapy camps in the different parts of the district by giving support services at their doorsteps and encourage them to get the services from the community rehabilitation centre.

In partnership with GiftAble Foundation, Bengaluru, we have worked in 112 villages through Early Intervention and Early Education Program.  Taking the local service providers, we have been working with the children with disabilities for early identification, early education, activities of daily living skills, nutritional support with linkages with various departments and agencies.  Odisha Rising Foundation based at Bhubaneswar has come forward to develop developmental partnership with  us for special education, therapeutic interventions and skill building on various vocations to the people with disabilities.