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A life beyond the wheel chair

S. Ramakrishnan's relentless service to society has been a big motivating factor for many, writes S.S.KAVITHA

PHOTO:K. GANESAN

PASSIONATE A man with nerves of steel

Heroes come in many forms but they invariably possess courage and confidence that enable them to face challenges, take risks and, above all, open the doors of the world for others.

One such hero is S. Ramakrishnan, who has built a 'valley for the disabled' with grit and gumption.

Mr. Ramakrishnan is paralysed from neck down and can only sit up for a few hours. Even basic actions like wiping his nose or scratching the head has to be carried out by attendants.

Confronted with one of the worst forms of disability, he moves forward in a mission of living his life for others, especially those who are like him. Born as a son of R. Sivasubramanian and Sarawathy, the 21-year-old Ramakrishnan was full of hope and enthusiasm when he attended the Staff Selection Commission examination for direct recruitment of engineers in the Indian Navy.

The obstacle session during recruitment came as an obstacle in his life.

"Within minutes, I tumbled and fell down. When I woke up I said `I have lost my hands' and I was not aware of the intensity of the accident," Mr. Ramakrishnan recalls.

After spending nearly a year in hospital, he was carried back to Ayiakudy. Slowly, he overgrew the feeling of depression with courage and inspiration injected by Dr. Amar Singh. In 1981, a motivational programme aired by All India radio stirred his conscience.

"I was determined to do something to scare away the tragic moments and serve others. I wanted to come out an atmosphere of gloom and despair to emerge into one filled with happiness and confidence. And I established Amar Seva Sangam by way of paying my humble and sincere gratitude and tribute to the doctor, who helped me gain confidence," he says.

The Amar Seva Sangam was established with five children under the shade of a thatched roof in 1981.

"Just because you're disabled, it doesn't mean you have to sit in a chair and vegetate. There are so many things in life to do and, more importantly, serve. You don't need to be able-bodied to do service," he says.

And in 1992, S. Sankararaman, a Chartered Accountant who moves in a wheel chair, joined Mr. Ramakrishnan.

The sangam's mission is to empower the disabled citizens by establishing a valley for the disabled as a rehabilitation and development centre for the region and create models for self-help initiatives by integrating disabled individuals with the society.

"We want to create a barrier-free environment for the differently-abled people and give them equal rights and control over their lives,' he says. With every passing year, Mr. Ramakrishnan works hard to usher in change in the life of the disabled.

Activities

Mr. Ramakrishnan lists out various activities implemented for the benefit of the disabled such as rehabilitation services, school for special children, calliper workshop, medical testing unit, tailoring, needle work and toy making, note book making etc.

The sangam houses a computer centre, nursery and middle schools and a special study centre of Indira Gandhi National Open University.

It also has a range of outreach projects for local villages. Now, it is involved in village and community-based rehabilitation work.

The sangam has adopted four blocks and identified 330 villages for implementing rehabilitation works and establish respite centres.

Respite centres

The `respite centre' is a group effort in which people involve themselves in providing care and support besides managing the children of the disabled and their dependants. It is a viable micro level institution where responsibilities are shared.

The sangam never confines itself to its premises.

It extends a helping hand to all disabled people be it in a railway station or bus stand. It has set up a rest room for the disabled at Tirunelveli bus stand.

Lack of awareness

Mr. Ramakrishnan says, "Our works and training sessions go at a slow pace because we want the inmates to be trained in all aspects, especially in capacity building and day-to-day activities."

In general, he says that it is found that one to one-and-a-half per cent people suffer from physical or mental illness for various reasons.

But, many of the disabilities in children are due to lack of awareness among parents and elders.

Many of the younger children suffer disability due to congenital birth defects that are often caused by mothers taking inappropriate and un-prescribed medicines during pregnancy.

Hence, the need of the hour is to create awareness among people to avoid disabilities, train and mould the affected people and children so that they can remain an advantage to the society.

Similarly, earlier intervention or detection of disability will also help the child, Mr. Ramakrishnan points out.

The sangam also organises advocacy programmes and enlightens differently-abled people about their rights and benefits offered by the Government.

"The Government should provide more facilities for the physically and mentally challenged people, like ramps in public places," he says.

The gritty tales of triumph continue because there is life beyond the wheel chair.

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