Indian Contingent: Special Olympic Summer Games 2015

Bharat (India) Special Olympics Facts & Figures 

World Games 2015 Delegation

Head of Delegation: Mr Satish Pillai

Estimated Total Involvement: Atheletes - 241; Coaches/Staff -92

Sports: Aquatics(08); Atheletics(40); Badminton(04); Basketball(20); Bocce(02); Cycling(24); Football(7 a side)-11;16; Golf(07); Handball(24); Powerlifting(18); Roller Skating(24); Softball(15); Table Tennis(04); Volleyball(24).

History: Founded in 1987 as Special Olympics India and later changed to Special Olympics Bharat in 2001.

Mission Statement: To provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with an intellectual disability, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in the sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympic athletes and the community.

"Founded in 1968, the Special Olympic movement comes with a great impact that changes lives of those who are disabled and consider their life as a curse. Using sports as the medium, Special Olympics is fighting inactivity, injustice and intolerance."

After having a success in Pyeong Chang, South Korea in 2013 and in Athens, Greece in 2011, Special Olympics has returned to the United States after 16 years. Los Angeles will be hosting the event for the third time. India won 20 medals at Special Olympics 2013 where several athletes like Anishka Upadhyay, Raj Kumar Tiwari, Bipasha Mukherji, and Bharat Bhatia won Gold in Alpine Skiing, Figure Skating, Speed Skating and Snowshoeing respectively.

Niramaya Health Insurance Scheme - National Trust

NIRAMAYA - Health Insurance Scheme (Revised Scheme w.e.f. April, 2015)
(For further clarification you can reach us at here)

Objective

In order to enable and empower persons with developmental disability to live as independently and as fully as possible, health services and their access to persons with developmental disabilities assume a very significant role. In this context, the health insurance facility becomes important but presently such products are not easily available for persons with developmental disabilities. In such a situation, a health insurance scheme "Niramaya" is conceived with the following objectives.

• To provide affordable Health Insurance to persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation & Multiple Disabilities.
• To encourage health services seeking behavior among persons with developmental disability.
• To improve the general health condition & quality of life of persons with developmental disability

Scheme & Its coverage
The scheme envisages to deliver comprehensive cover which will

• Have a single premium across age band
• Provide same coverage irrespective of the type of disability covered under the National Trust Act.
• Insurance cover up to Rs.1.0 lakh.
• All persons with developmental disabilities will be eligible and included and there will be no 'selection'.
• The scheme will be available in the entire country except J&K.

The scheme further envisages that there shall be -

• No exclusion of Pre-existing condition
• Same cover as that for other persons
• Services ranging from regular Medical Check-up to Hospitalization, Therapy to Corrective Surgery, Transportation.
• Conditions requiring repetitive medical intervention as an in-patient.
• Pre & Post hospitalization expenses, subject to limits.
• No pre-insurance medical tests.
• Reimbursement of claims in case of OPD services from any Qualified Medical Practitioner and for IPD treatment can be taken from a Hospital anywhere in the country.

World Autism Day 2nd April

The NGO Dr. Annie Besant School for MR Children was established at Hoshangabad for the rehabilitation and integration of adults with developmental disabilities in 2002. Mrs Aarati Dutta, who has been a social activist all her life, started the NGO and has been endeavoring to help mentally disabled / autistic people for over 15 years. Ahead of World Autism Awareness Day, which is observed on April 2 every year. The first time the day was observed was back in 2008, after it was designated by the United Nations General Assembly.