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A Disabled Child at Home: Looking into the Possibilities and Challenges in Parental Caring of the Children with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (PwIDDS)
Sengupta, Lopamudra (Bangabasi College, University of Calcutta),
lopa_sg@yahoo.co.in
A Disabled Child At Home: Looking Into The Possibilities And Challenges In Parental Caring Of The Children With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities (PwIDDS)
Birth of a child in a family is usually associated with happiness and joy. It strengthens the bond between spouses and also with other members in the family. However a child born with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (PwIDDS) subverts this equation and the parent of the child lapses into mental agony, pain and trauma leading to a lifelong process of anxieties, tension and grief.
The question that haunts the parents day and night is the responsibility and well being of the child in their absence ie who will take care of this child after their death. It is in this context my paper will explore the initiation of a residential project named “Swapnaneer” in the vicinities of Kolkata.
Located at Langalberia Gram Panchayat, District 24 Parganas, West Bengal this residential project is a dream nest to many who seek to provide lifelong support to the children born with PwIDDS. “Swapnaneer” is based on the concept of “Community Living” towards providing lifelong shelter and care, economic support and developmental opportunities for PwIDDS even after the demise of their parents.
The objective of my paper will be to look into this exemplary model and analyse how this concept can be made viable in terms of association amongst families, civil society and the State. The paper questions the role of the states in the era of globalisation and tries to find out how far these local initiatives can act as an alternative to the states failures in meeting the responsibility to provide basic resources and welfare services to the vulnerable citizens.