Registered in 1981, SAMADHAN, an NGO with dual focus on persons with intellectual disability also impacted by poverty in New Delhi, Service models have been developed to suit the characteristics of low socio economic target communities and today provide community outreach for raising awareness on intellectual disability, advocacy in local mainstream schools, therapy, special education and early intervention. SAMADHAN has won two international awards for innovation and linking disability, poverty and women’s empowerment from the World Bank and Inclusion International and has national and international membership such as The National Trust, Asian Federation on Intellectual Disability (AFID) and research links with IASSIDD (International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities)

What is SAMADHAN?

Poverty brings together a heterogeneous mix of families surviving on daily wages and caught in the vicious cycle of lack of education, unemployment, malnutrition and consequent ill health. This situation coupled with paucity of services, are the main contributors to a disproportionately large number of intellectually disabled persons in low-income communities.

SAMADHAN, a registered non-profit organization set up in 1981 in New Delhi, India, has as its dual purpose the betterment of these disregarded communities, specifically children with intellectual disability and their mothers.

SAMADHAN’s philosophy is that all persons with intellectual disability can be helped, if appropriate and timely services are available.

Over the years, it has effectively transferred this philosophy into action and developed a viable model of service delivery linking services for the intellectually disabled, with the needs of their mothers and of the women in the community, using locally available resources and materials.

SAMADHAN has two centers, one in Dakshinpuri in South Delhi and the other in Dwarka, South-West Delhi have been established.