Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti-BMVSS is a

Jaipur Jaipur (; , ) is the List of state and union territory capitals in India, capital and the List of cities and towns in Rajasthan, largest city of the north-western States and union territories of India, Indian state of Rajasthan. , the city had ...

-based

non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...

, founded by D.R. Mehta in 1975. It is the world's largest organization for the disabled in terms of fitment of artificial limb, calipers etc., providing them with artificial limbs (including the Jaipur foot), calipers, crutches, ambulatory aids like wheel chairs, and other aids and appliances totally free of cost. The main objective of BMVSS is the physical and socio-economic rehabilitation of the physically disabled, especially the resource-less, so they may lead a life of dignity and become productive members of the community It also conducts scientific and technical research in developing and improving aids and appliances for the physically challenged and also organizes workshops and seminars for dissemination of knowledge and expertise related to the manufacture of such products.

Progress

Beginning with a very modest fitment of 59 artificial limbs in 1975, BMVSS is now fitting about 20,000 artificial limbs and about 30,000 Polio Calipers, and other aids and appliances every year in its centers and through mobile camps in India and abroad. The foreign countries that it has served include:

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

Bangladesh Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...

Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles of the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. It shares a Maritime boundary, maritime border with Puerto Rico to the east and ...

Honduras Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Ocean at the Gulf of Fonseca, ...

Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

Somalia Somalia, officially the Federal Republic of Somalia, is the easternmost country in continental Africa. The country is located in the Horn of Africa and is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, Kenya to the southwest, th ...

, Tanzania,

Sudan Sudan, officially the Republic of the Sudan, is a country in Northeast Africa. It borders the Central African Republic to the southwest, Chad to the west, Libya to the northwest, Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the east, Eritrea and Ethiopi ...

, etc.

Awards

BMVSS received the National Award for the best institution working in the field of Rehabilitation of the Disabled in 1998 from the Indian

Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment is a Government of India Ministry (government department), ministry. It is responsible for welfare spending, welfare, social justice and empowerment of disadvantaged and marginalised sections of soc ...

. In the following years, it received awards including "Mahavir Award for the philanthropic services and welfare of the Handicapped", the "Tech award for Innovation for the benefit of humanity, and "Dr PK Sethi Award Innovation Award."

References

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External links

* https://web.archive.org/web/20120910010044/http://www.newsofap.com/newsofap-8804-25-bmvss-to-give-jaipur-foot-to-1000-iraqis-newsofap.html *https://web.archive.org/web/20101227131953/http://www.jaipur.cc/Jaipur_Foot.htm Disability organisations based in India