Eight carpenters with disabilities from Meghalaya completed a two-week training in making special chairs for children with cerebral palsy at the Indian Institute of Cerebral Palsy (IICP). The pilot initiative by the State Skill Development Society, Government of Meghalaya, ended with a certification programme, where students of IICP put up a musical performance
Pictures by Krishnungshu Gangopadhyay
‘This is a brilliant programme. IICP is a temple of service. This is a place where everyone is working passionately to take care of the children. It is because of their passion that the children are doing well and when children do well, the society does well. Their work is commendable,’ said Chatterjee
‘We wanted to organise a skill development programme for carpenters with disability. When we thought of cerebral palsy, this was the first place that came to our mind. Initially, we only expected to make chairs for the children but after coming here we saw that they have their own school, curriculum, and creative activities. Even the people with difficulty in functionality can perform basic daily tasks,’ said Larisuk Raplang, an occupational therapist working in the orthopaedic department of a government hospital in Meghalaya. She is in charge of the District Resource Centre on Disability Affairs of Meghalaya and a rehabilitation expert at the State Resource Centre on Disability Affairs. The carpenters have come from the State Resource Centre on Disability Affairs
