People queue up for a check-up at a camp in Ghatshila in November. Telegraph picture

A massive awareness campaign on mental disability will get underway from the state capital on Wednesday.

Badhte Kadam, an initiative of the National Trust set up under the Union ministry of social justice and empowerment in 2009, aims to educate the public about centrally-sponsored schemes and benefits available for the mentally disbaled.

This year, six districts — East Singhbhum, West Singhbhum, Seraikela-Kharsawan, Ranchi, Khunti and Simdega — will benefit from the campaign, which will be implemented by three registered NGOs — Deepshikha in Ranchi; Parents Association for the Mentally Handicapped in Jamshedpur and Jharkhand Vikalang Manch.

The awareness camp aims to identify people and children with mental disability, those still untapped and deprived of government schemes that could benefit them. Although awareness about mental disabilities is high in cities like Jamshedpur and Ranchi, the organisers feel more needs to be done to identify adults and children with mental disabilities in rural areas.

“We have already done work in the cities but now it is time to venture into remote areas where people live with disabilities, unable to come forward and take advantage of government schemes. Last month when we conducted the first medical check-up camp in Ghatshila, we identified 105 children with mental disability in one day,” said P. Babu Rao, secretary of PAMHJ, who works extensively in the area of mental disability.

The implementing agencies have decided to set up awareness and medical camps at the block headquarters.

Badhte Kadam 2011 aims to enable and empower people with disabilities to access National Trust and other governmental schemes, and change attitudes in order to help people understand disability in a development context.

In Jharkhand, the implementing agencies will thus stress on rural belts as they believe there would be many who are unaware of the schemes. The camps will have doctors and legal experts to assist families with special children. The camps will also certify people with mental disabilities as it is necessary to receive government benefits.

“We are trying to develop a strong network in villages as these are people who do not even know that the government offers facilities. We would thus reach their doorstep to bring them out, listen to their problems and tell them about the schemes,” said Rao.

The National Trust already offers schemes like Sahayogi, which provides caregivers to the needy, Samarth, a residential and service provider scheme, Aspiration, an early intervention programme for children between 0 and 6 years, Niramaya, a health insurance programme, Gyan Prabha, a scholarship programme and Uddyam Prabha to promote self employment.