Disability

The Children's Hope Disability Centre (DSC) was formed to provide support for children with differing or special needs in Dhaka's slums. The DSC was established under two key principles: accessibility to support; and inclusivity. The DSC strives to not only provide financial, nutritional, and medical support, but also provide enrichment activities crucial for each child's social and mental wellbeing.

Caring for a disabled child has financial implications for the overall household. To help improve their income, families with disabled children are given a preferential status on sustainable livelihood grants, which are used to set up home-run businesses.

Regular home visits are made to assess the day-to-day needs of disabled children, which include occupational and continence support. Our support services have provided tailor-made wheelchairs to help children with their mobility and special chairs with a commode facility to aid the children with bowel difficulties.

Caring is a stressful job. Parents and carers are often preoccupied with looking after their disabled children and ignore their own health and well-being. Disabled children and their parents are also home-bound most of their lives. Our Social Support Scheme enables these families to make bi-monthly outdoor trip to various leisure and recreational places.

A healthy diet is essential for the normal growth and development of all children. Due to financial strain, their parents can often ill afford nutritious food such as eggs, milk and fruit. The centre provides necessary nutrition for 30 disabled children, three times a week, throughout the year.

Most disabled children have never been assessed for their disability and their parents do not have financial means to conduct regular health check-ups with qualified doctors. Children’s Hope hold medical sessions once a week and are the only accessible method of assessing the health and well-being of disabled patients.