The Tamil Nadu government is establishing 23 One-Stop Centres (OSCs) for people with disabilities in Coimbatore under the World Bank-funded RIGHTS project. These centres aim to reduce the travel burden for differently-abled individuals who currently have to visit the district welfare office at the collector’s campus to access essential services.
According to a TN RIGHTS programme officer, the OSCs will provide physiotherapy, special education support, speech therapy, and social work assistance. The state government will also supply physiotherapy equipment and materials for special educators to enhance the centres’ effectiveness.
Infrastructure and Staffing
To accommodate the centres, various departments have allocated buildings:
- Health Department: 10 buildings in government hospitals (GHs) and primary health centres (PHCs)
- School Education Department: 4 buildings
- Coimbatore Corporation: 5 buildings
- Adi Dravidar Welfare Department, Rural Development Department, Pollachi & Mettupalayam Municipalities: 1 building each
A total of 100 contract-based professionals, including physiotherapists, speech therapists, social workers, and special educators, have been recruited. These staff members will undergo one and a half months of training at the National Institute for Empowerment of Persons with Multiple Disabilities (NIEPMD) in Chennai to prepare for managing the centres effectively.
Renovation and Launch Timeline
Before the centres become fully operational, minor renovations such as constructing ramps, improving toilet facilities, setting up water connections, and electrical work need to be completed. The buildings are expected to be ready by the end of April, and all centres will be fully functional by the end of May.
Survey for Differently-Abled Individuals
To better understand the needs of the community, a survey is being conducted to assess:
- Economic status and living conditions of differently-abled individuals
- Existing government support and additional expectations
- Availability of essential identification documents (such as differently-abled ID cards, ration cards, and Aadhaar cards)
Coimbatore district is home to approximately 27,538 differently-abled individuals. So far, 21,000 individuals have been surveyed with the help of Mahalir Thittam workers, and the remaining data will be collected by the newly appointed OSC staff.
