Gift Happiness for 300 Differently Abled Children

by VOICE Trust

Project Report | Jul 10, 2023
You can bring vast changes in differently abled children's lives

By Janet Preethi G | Project Leader

Looking forward for another education trip

Greetings from VOICE Trust, a 39 year old organisation from Tamil Nadu, India.

The number of people with disabilities in India was stated as 21 million in the 2001 Census of India. In the 2011 census, the figure rose by 22.4% to 26.8 million.According to the 2011 census, 20.3% of people with disabilities in India have movement disabilities, 18.9% have hearing impairments, and 18.8% have visual impairments. The 2011 census additionally collected data on mental disability for the first time, and found that 5.6% of Indians with disabilities fall into that category.

Globally, it is estimated that there are over 1 billion persons with disabilities, as well as more than 2 billion people, such as spouses, children and caregivers of persons with disabilities, representing almost a third of the world’s population, are directly affected by disability. While this signifies a huge potential market for travel and tourism, it still remains vastly under-served due to inaccessible travel and tourism facilities and services, as well as discriminatory policies and practices.

What is accessible tourism?

Accessible tourism enables all people to participate in and enjoy tourism experiences. More people have access needs, whether or not related to a physical condition. For example, older and less mobile people have access needs, which can become a huge obstacle when traveling or touring. Thus, accessible tourism is the ongoing endeavour to ensure tourist destinations, products and services are accessible to all people, regardless of their physical limitations, disabilities or age. This inludes publicly and privately owned tourist locations, facilities and services.

It has been felt that differently-abled persons need special arrangements in the environment for their mobility and independent functioning. It is also a fact that many institutes have architectural barriers that disabled persons find difficult for their day-today functioning. The colleges are expected to address accessibility related issues as per the stipulations of the Persons with Disabilities Act 1995, and ensure that all existing structures as well as future construction projects in their campuses are made disabled friendly. The institutes should create special facilities such as ramps, rails and special toilets, and make other necessary changes to suit the special needs of differently-abled persons. The construction plans should clearly address the accessibility issues pertaining to disability.

Differently abled children are awaiting for a exposure cum learning experience which is not accessible for them, because they are from daily wage income earning families. Basic right like food, education is a huge challenge for them. Knowledge and learning they get through experiencing is new one in their lifetime.

Let us join hands to support and help them to gain a new experience which is a right for differently abled children.

Thank you all for your continued support..!!

Children learning and enjoying in a new envt

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Mar 10, 2023
Together we can help Children to achieve rights

By Janet Preethi G | Project Leader

Nov 11, 2022
It was their first experience..!!

By Janet Preethi G | Project Leader

Enjoying Boating Experience

In September 2021, I visited a school for visually challenged children, it had around 50 children and they were in their break time. while having a casual discussion with them, all of their request was to take them to an outing or tour, so through local donations we took them to a day trip to Kanyakumari (the tip of India) where 3 oceans meet, waterfalls near by, boating and many more. We named it "Feelable Trip" because they cannot see but feel their first time experience of their feet touching the waves, sound of the waves, the enjoyment in the waterfalls for huge and boating also was too good for them. This is their first trip/tour in their life time, first time going for a boating, sea, waterfalls and many more.

I am happy to share that we are impacting lives of differently abled Children. We are doing it with a social cause for good mental health, education and knowledge for children and youth who learn only in text books. We have also planned Industrial visits for differently abled college students. We have 3 goals:

1.Disadvantaged children also have their right to enjoy their childhood

2. Mental Health always matters

3. Where you go imprint your solution for environment.

There are around 21 schools like this, most of them have not gone for any educational trips like this. For these Children school education is not an affordable thing and trips are considered as luxury. So, we planned trips for Differently Abled kids but without your supports it is not possible.

A visually challenged boy who is doing is 5th grade says, "my parents are daily wage workers and I had this wish of going to a tour from my small age, I thought it is not possible for I come to school via free bus, only 2 buses are available and daily I wait for one hour to catch the bus, because if I miss the bus I will miss that day school, my parents earning will be enough only for food and stay needs. Parents of families like ours consider tour as a luxury factor and some relatives ask how can you enjoy a trip without seeing so I buried my dreams within myself. First of all thank you to all who took me to trip because this is my first trip, long one with my friends, danced and enjoyed in a travel, first time took breakfast in a hotel, my mom usually gives rice porridge if she cant cook, first time hearing the sound of waves and experiencing my first footprint in a sea, I loved each moment the waves touched my feet, the boat experience made feel that I and flying whenever a boat hits a wave, the best part was the waterfalls, initially I had the fear but teachers took me and it was the best in my lifetime." He had happy tears when he said.

We will all start gifting this new experience for them.

Our group picture

Enjoying the breeze of the sea and warmth of sun

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