Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti-BMVSS is a

Jaipur Jaipur (; Hindi Language, Hindi: ''Jayapura''), formerly Jeypore, is the List of state and union territory capitals in India, capital and largest city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Rajasthan. , the city had a pop ...

-based

non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

, founded by

D.R. Mehta D. R. Mehta (born 25 June 1937) is a former chairman of Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). He is a founder and chief patron of Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti (BMVSS), the world's largest organization for the handicapped in ...

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 The Jaipur foot, also known as the Jaipur leg, is a rubber-based prosthetic leg for people with below-knee amputations. Although inferior in many ways to the composite carbon fibre variants, its variable applicability and cost efficiency make ...

), 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,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...

Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...

Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares wit ...

Honduras Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. The republic of Honduras is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Oce ...

Nepal Nepal (; ne, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne, सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mai ...

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

Somalia Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constituti ...

, Tanzania,

Sudan Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...

, 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. It is responsible for welfare, social justice and empowerment of disadvantaged and marginalised sections of society, including scheduled castes (SC), Other Backwar ...

. 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