Free assistive devices provided to 300 people with special needs

Bengaluru: SBI Capital Markets (SBICAPS) launched its latest CSR project with the Association of People with Disability (APD), which will see the distribution of key assistive devices in Bengaluru. The project has been launched as part of their 3-month-long CSR partnership campaign to enable and empower children and youth with disability in areas of healthcare and education.

The CSR project, valued at approximately INR 50 lakh, will aid nearly 300 people with disabilities and children with special needs. Nearly 25 assisted devices were distributed to beneficiaries at the function held at Shradhanjali Integrated School (SIS) grounds situated in the APD Campus in Lingarajapuram on January 30, 2023. These included hearing aids, wheelchairs, prosthetics, and orthotics for persons suffering from general disabilities as well as Spinal Cord injuries, to help them become functionally independent.

Chief Guest for the function Shri Dinesh Khara, Chairman, State Bank of India (SBI), said, "SBI and its subsidiaries are fully committed to nation-building through our various businesses and support to a range of social initiatives across India. We engage with causes on a national scale to local grassroots projects to improve lives. SBICAPS supports CSR projects, big and small, through its various partners by allocating a substantial portion of its bottom line to these efforts. Projects cover varied initiatives in healthcare, education, sanitation, disaster relief, child development, vocational training, and women empowerment, and even extend to niche areas like the preservation of art and culture."

Jacob Kurian, Honorary Secretary, APD, said, "It was a special day for APD to have the entire senior leadership of India's biggest bank, SBI, visit our campus. By donating state-of-the-art hearing aids, prostheses and mobility devices, SBI - a leader in driving financial inclusion in India - enabled some of the most disadvantaged citizens with disability, to take a big step towards becoming participants in a more inclusive India."

Ganga, a peer trainer with a spinal cord injury who counsels others like her at APD, said, "By providing me with customised callipers and a wheelchair, APD has helped me be a contributing member of my family and community." The Association of People with Disability has been successful in producing nearly 5000 assistive products last year in Karnataka alone. The organisation has had a long-term partnership with SBI, especially in the two aspirational districts of Raichur and Yadgir, but this is the first engagement with SBICAPS. SBICAPS's CSR association with APD has been facilitated by Give Grants, which enables corporates to deliver maximum social impact by partnering with trusted NGOs. Over the next few months, the project will see assessment and measurement camps run for beneficiaries, followed by product fittings and training.