HOME	[ Search site: ] jump to navigational links

Employment > Awards > N.C.P.E.D.P. - Shell Helen Keller Awards 2001

Paul Y. Samuel: First steps

For 44-year-old Paul Y. Samuel, Manager, Orthotic Unit, Association of People with Disability (A.P.D.), Bangalore, improving the quality of his life meant helping a disabled person make the first move.

Samuel could easily have become a stenographer and banged away at the computer, tucked away in any office. But, something inside told him that he was cut out for a different purpose in life.

After studying Orthosis and Prosthesis, a course that he almost did not complete, his efforts took root under a tree at the A.P.D. premises. It was here in 1982 that he started an Orthotic Unit to promote mobility aids and appliances. For this, he was inspired by a patient, Narayan Swami, who had lost a leg and who urged Samuel to continue in his chosen path.

There was no looking back; his work spread its branches to slums and rural areas. In 1985, he and his team made aids and appliances for nearly 200 children with mobility needs. Samuel also trains people to manufacture aids and appliances. He has trained 11 batches of orthotic technicians; the total number trained being 112. This includes candidates from India, Sri Lanka, Nepal and some African countries as well. Of these, 72 are persons with disability.

A step in the right direction for Samuel; a huge gain for disabled people.

Phone: 080-5464902
Fax: 080-5470390
Email: ablehand@vsnl.com

Printer-friendly version | E-mail this page to a friend

Main links in the Employment section: Placements | Job Opportunities | Schemes | Awards | Incentives | Issues and Trends | Success Stories

Other links in the Employment section: F.A.Q.s | Research Studies | What the Law says