5.

5 Roles of Several Service Providers Involved in CBR

Families and Parents' contribution to CBR development:

Families have the primary responsibility for caring for all of their members. They are the first
line of support and assistance for people with disabilities at the local level. As such, families
must be included in CBR programme activities. Where the individual with a disability is not
able, for whatever reason, to speak for himself or herself, a family member should represent
him or her and should be considered a legitimate member of disabled people's organizations.
Members of families with experience in caring for people with disabilities are the people who
most often initiate CBR programmes and are, or prove to be, the most effective contributors
at all levels. CBR programmes can work with families to encourage family members to
become advocates for changing negative attitudes within the community; support people with
disabilities to effectively communicate and self-advocate for their own needs and wants.

Parents' and families ` potential contribution to CBR development is enormous, but in this
topic, five possible areas will be explored, where their efforts could make a significant
difference.

1. Overcoming ignorance - We all know that CBR has a major role to play in the
education of the community, about disability. Ignorance is a big obstacle; many
people with disabilities are in their present situation because they did not know what
to do at the time when, the 'enemy' attacked them. Community members need to know
how to prevent disabilities. They need to know how to care for, respect and
communicate appropriately, with people with disabilities. Parents can make a major
contribution towards sensitising families in these areas, by sharing their own
experiences. They can encourage other parents to include their children in everyday
activities, by providing a sympathetic, listening ear to the families' difficulties. They
can also facilitate referrals to medical and social services. Their contribution in these
areas can strengthen these aspects of a CBR programme considerably.

2. Promoting sustainability - The sustainability of an individual's independence relies

heavily upon setting up the structures and support, which will enable him/her to
acquire daily living skills and provide the opportunity for education and employment.
Parents can facilitate this process by establishing NGOs, finding ways of sustaining
individual PWDs, and making relevant connections between PWDs and prospective
educational opportunities and employers. People tend to underestimate the capacity
and capability of PWDs to carry out productive activities, for which they can be
financially rewarded. They need the opportunity to practice any newly acquired skills
and this is where parents can also be very supportive.

3. Promoting the validity and relevance of CBR activities - Essentially, PWDs and
their families are the customers and consumers of CBR programmes and one of the
objectives of any organization is to satisfy its customers. In order to do this, the
customers need to be involved in the identification of what is required and how it can
be best achieved. In practice, this means that PWDs and their families need to be
 involved from the very beginning in any initiative so that their perspectives, wants,
hopes, needs, fears and deep seated knowledge of the barriers, can form the design of
an initiative, from the very beginning. Their participation is then required throughout
the project, to keep the monitoring process relevant and to ensure that the project
develops in a way, which will continue to benefit the 'customers'.

4. Parents' role in promoting education - Parents have a very powerful role to play in
the promotion of the inclusion of disabled children within mainstream educational
settings, as well as working towards the development of special provisions that
children, both, within mainstream settings and in special settings, require. Their role is
again one of raising awareness and providing the drive and inspiration needed, to
initiate and sustain programmes with a lifetime of interest and commitment.

5. Raising gender awareness - Disabled girls, appear to be at a double disadvantage in

many societies and India is no exception. CBR programmes need to be very sensitive
to the situation faced by disabled girls and women, which includes facing both
physical and mental abuse, rape and exploitation. It is difficult for others to imagine
what they have to learn to face, such as the problems that arise from menstruation,
pregnancy and labour. Culturally, girls are expected to get married, have children and
create their own homes. In Indian societies, it is very painful (for parents and PWDs)
to know that marriage is almost completely out of question. The worry is also that if
you do get married, will you (or your child) be able to live up to the expectations
required, and if you do not, what will happen to you?

People with Intellectual disabilities:

People with Intellectual disabilities can and should contribute to all levels of CBR
programmes in every position within a programme.

 They know what the effects of local conditions are on themselves. They are likely to
have a good understanding of those effects on their peers with disabilities.
 They also know what impairment really means in the context of their family,
community and nation. This knowledge enables them to be very effective members of
a CBR team.
 They can be more effective than non-disabled people as role models for and
counsellors of other people with disabilities.
 People with disabilities have an important role in community education. As
community educators, they serve as living examples of people with disabilities who
make a significant contribution, provided that they are given the opportunity and the
right type of assistance.
 CBR programmes should also facilitate the development of self-help organizations of
people with disabilities at the community level.
 They can organize self-advocacy group by which they can demand their right.
According to RPWD 2016 and UNCRPD 07 they have every right by which they can
leave a descent life.
Role of communities and its members in CBR:
Community members should be involved in CBR programmes at all levels because they
already know the local environmental conditions, the local economy, the local political
situation and how to work with them. They also know about the accessibility, availability and
effectiveness of locally available rehabilitation services; who in the community cares enough
about other people to become a programme leader or worker; and, which community
members have the knowledge and skills for training others in micro-economic activities.
They are the people most likely to want to live, work and stay in the community. Community
involvement usually requires the agreement and approval, both formal and informal, of the
community leaders.

1. Governments (local, regional, national): Governments have the most important role
in the development and sustainability of CBR programmes. Their cooperation,
support and involvement are essential if CBR is to cover the total population and be
sustainable. They should implement and coordinate the development of the entire
programme structure, including the development of the referral system, as well as the
activities within the community. They also should provide resources for non-
governmental organizations (NGOs) and community activities. Finally, they should
ensure that discriminatory legislation is changed and that the rights of people with
disabilities are guaranteed and protected.

2. Non-governmental organizations, local, regional: NGOs, including organizations

of people with disabilities, are often able to provide resources and skills to facilitate
the development of new programmes, especially in areas where none exist. They can
develop new approaches to CBR and provide training programmes for government
employees, CBR workers, and people with disabilities, families, and community
members. NGOs are effective in facilitating the development of community members
as CBR programme leaders. They are often best able to provide long-term care
facilities for those people with extensive disabilities whose families cannot or will not
look after them.

3. Medical professionals, allied health science professionals, social scientists and

other professionals: Professionals are often in a position where they can, as trainers
and educators, facilitate the development of new programmes by making their
knowledge and skills accessible to community members and CBR programme
workers. They can also ensure that they support community efforts by making
themselves available and accessible on a referral basis. When they are in government
service, they can advocate and promote the development of CBR programmes as an
effective way to provide local-level services quickly.

4. The private sector (business and industry): The private sector has a social
obligation to return some of the benefits of its operations to the communities that
support it. In the past, this support has largely taken the form of charity. Charity
occurs when donors "give" whatever they feel are needed or appropriate to people
with disabilities. This approach to assisting people with disabilities is no longer
appropriate and needs to be changed. Supporting CBR programme activities
 eliminates the need for charity. CBR support is a much more appropriate way of
directing resources to communities and people with disabilities. By supporting CBR
programmes, the private sector receives credit for its social involvement while being
guaranteed that its support is put to effective and efficient use. Who but trained,
knowledgeable community members would know what is most needed by the people
of their own community?

Role of Special Educators in Community Based Rehabilitation

The roles and responsibilities of special education professionals are varied. They are
responsible for complying with many laws and regulations regarding the treatment and well-
being of people with disabilities. Their roles involve every aspect of the educational process.

 Provide direct and indirect instructional support to students in a positive environment.

 Employ special educational strategies and techniques during instruction to improve
the development of sensory- and perceptual-motor skills, language, cognition, and
memory.
 Instruct students in academic subjects using a variety of techniques such as phonetics,
multi-sensory learning, and repetition to reinforce learning and to meet students'
varying needs and interests.
 Teach socially acceptable behaviour, as determined by the students' individualized
education programs (IEPs) by employing techniques in an overall positive
behavioural support system.
 Modify the general education curriculum for students with disabilities based upon a
variety of instructional techniques and technologies.
 Plan and conduct activities for a balanced program of instruction, demonstration, and
work time that provides students with opportunities to observe, question, and
investigate. An Establish and enforce rules for behaviour and procedures for
maintaining an environment conducive to learning for all students.
 Meet with parents to discuss their children's progress and to determine priorities for
their children and their individualized educational needs.
 Confer with parents, administrators, testing specialists, social workers, and other
professionals to develop individualized education programs (IEPs) designed to
promote students' educational, physical, and social/emotional development.
 Maintain accurate and complete student records and prepare reports on children and
activities, as required by laws, district policies, and administrative regulations.
 Establish clear objectives for all lessons, units, and projects and communicate those
objectives to students.
 Develop plans for effective communication, monitoring, and follow-up of students in
inclusive classroom settings.
 Provide crisis intervention, as needed, for students and those in inclusive classrooms.
 Assist in collection of data for providing appropriate classroom interventions.
 Serve as a member of a multidisciplinary team as appropriate.
 Assist in preparation of data for local, state, and federal reports.
 Maintain professional competence by participating in staff development activities,
curriculum development meetings, and other professional opportunities.