The day care centre run by the Parents’ Association for the Mentally Handicapped of Jamshedpur. (Bhola Prasad)

A Jamshedpur-based NGO registered with National Trust — a statutory body under the Union ministry of social justice and empowerment — that works for differently-abled people in the city and nearby areas is eyeing corporate help to set up a resource centre for the disabled.

Parents’ Association for the Mentally Handicapped of Jamshedpur is seeking the assistance of business houses to gather funds to the tune of Rs 1 crore required to set up the centre, which will provide information about assistive technology for different disabilities at one place by demonstrating the practical use of aids and appliances.

The idea for the centre germinated after representatives of the NGO visited Sambhav, the national resource centre on disability, in New Delhi this September.

“Our visit to Sambhav made us aware of a lot of innovative products that can make a disabled person’s life easier. The centre is proving to be immensely helpful to families and organisations as they can get information about the products and the place where they are available,” said P. Babu Rao, secretary of the NGO.

The NGO, which works for the welfare of the mentally retarded, autistic and cerebral palsy persons in Kolhan region, wants to open such a centre in Jamshedpur to make life easier for the city denizens.

“We have already approached some corporate houses for their help. It will be better if we get a place on some hospital premises to set up the centre as disabled people regularly visit such health hubs,” the secretary added.

Action For Ability Development And Inclusion, a wing of National Trust which has set up Sambhav, aims to showcase universal designs which can help in bringing disabled people into the mainstream.

For example, special magnetic tables are designed for those mentally challenged people who find it difficult to sit and eat.

“Most of these people are unaware about the products that can help a disabled person. As the family members will not remain with us forever, these products will help such people to do their own chores. Though there is requirement for such products, the awareness level is very poor,” said Rao.