NAB Client Service Department

History

Blindness is generally found in all classes of the society.  However, there is an inextricable association between blindness and poverty, say experts. Malnutrition, limited or no access to education, healthcare, sanitation, etc. is highly prevalent among lower socio-economic classes.  Such inferior living conditions lead to poor health, which in turn can trigger blindness.

Very few underprivileged blind persons live in institutions where help is at hand to take care of their needs.  So, for evolving a definitive policy to deal with the requirements of such non-institutionalized blind persons, NAB set up in June 1992 the Programme Delivery Committee which led to the establishment of the Client Service Department in April 1994.  A gateway of sorts to services of NAB (I), this Department has proved to be very helpful to several blind individual in an around the city of Mumbai.  It provides them direct and timely assistance and guidance, to solve their day-to-day problems.

Activities

Identification and Referral Service

The Department identifies newly blind persons and those blind individuals who have never had exposure to welfare activities, and then refers them to appropriate NAB Department and other institutions.

We also counsel, guide and refer our needy clients to avail financial, education, medical assistance, etc. given by State/Central Government agencies and other NGOs.

Community Development Programme In 1992-93, the Department conducted a survey in tribal belts of Jawar, Wada and Vikramgadh regions in Thane District and started rehabilitation services for about 200 blind individuals identified in the area. Presently, the NAB Maharashtra Unit conducts Community Based Rehabilitation Programme in this region. Recently we came across another ethnic community inhabiting the desolate and inhospitable Barkupada locality of Ambernath in District Thane. Guidance for education and self-employment, medical and ophthalmic check-up and blindness certification camps, distribution of food stuff, clothing, folding canes and other aids and equipment were some of the welfare measures initiated for this community.

Community Development Program for Blind Tribals.

Financial Assistance Financial assistance is provided for a variety of reasons including medical, house repair, education of the blind and/or children of underprivileged blind parents, starting own small business and any other unforeseeable difficulties.

Self-Employment Initiatives We have been successful in finding new and novel approach to self-employment through provision of weighing scales, sewing, popcorn/noodle-making and leather stitching/cutting machines, mini grain/masala mills, coin-box/rechargeable and portable PCOs etc. With the support of their family members, blind individuals earn a decent livelihood by operating these appliances they receive either at highly subsidized cost/free of charge.Besides, we offer them assistance in kind, in the form of toys, cutlery items etc. which they sell at railway stations and other places of public movement. The Department has been successful in either getting these items sponsored or donated.

Support for Self-Employment.

Rehabilitation of Destitute Blind We take charge and thereafter rehabilitate/make arrangements for providing permanent shelter to destitute blind/multihandicapped individuals through various welfare agencies.

Aids and Equipment We stock special aids and appliances like white canes, Braille wrist watches, light probe, measuring spoons, etc. which are given to blind individuals on no profit no loss basis. Sometimes, we give them away free to deserving clients. We also provide tape recorders and CD players to needy blind students. Of late we have been, through service clubs, providing equipment like exercise cycles, gym balls, CP (Cerebral Palsy) chairs and working tables to multi-handicapped blind children. We have also been able to provide domestic gas connections to a number of needy blind individuals living in slums and rural areas in and around Mumbai.

A blind beneficiary receiving a ladies Braille Wrist Watch sponsored by a service club.

Concessions

We issue certificates for Bonafide Blindness, Housing, travel concession on ticket fare offered by BEST, Indian Railways and Airlines, exemption given on Income/Profession Tax, allowances on Conveyance, Reader and other facilities.

Disaster Relief

We have always acted swiftly to meet the challenges brought on by man-made disasters or natural calamities. During the 1993 serial bomb blasts in Mumbai, we helped several affected blind individuals overcome their predicament.

The Mumbai deluge of 2005, adversely affected several blind persons. They lost their homes and belongings. The department took up quick door-to-door survey and extended financial assistance to the tune of almost Rs.6.50 lakh to over 665 blind individuals.

Advocacy

We have been instrumental in getting a variety of concessions/facilities for the blind, through advocacy with concerned establishments. To mention a few – the facility of special compartment for disabled persons in Mumbai Local Railway, 50% Exemption in Telephone Rental for blind persons in the fixed lines of MTNL and BSNL, concessions in the Rail Tariff for A/c and non A/c. classes, etc.

We have taken up grievances of our blind clients with appropriate authorities and resolved them amicably.  It is only through our intervention that the Hon’ble High Court of Mumbai reaffirmed job reservation for the disabled, which has been provided under the PwD Act 1995.  We also got dummy ballot papers in Braille printed at our Braille Press for the benefit of blind voters during the last Vidhan Sabha Elections in Maharashtra.

Of late, the department has also taken up advocacy for accessibility issues – be it related to accessibility to aids of personal nature, barrier-free environment, concessions, and so on.

Other Services

We have been successful in getting married blind clients and providing them essential house-hold articles with the help of service clubs and other welfare institutions.

We also take charge of corpses of unidentified/poor blind and make arrangements of their last rites.

What You Can Do

• You can contribute money for our self-employment undertakings • You can sponsor special aids and appliances for the blind • You may like to volunteer to help blind people read, write, or go shopping • If you are a professional – an Accountant, a Lawyer, etc. we would appreciate your expertise.

Publications
Committee