Our Partnership with ASSA

In 2023 NCCO partnered with Amar Seva Sangam (ASSA), a non-profit charitable organization dedicated to the rehabilitation, education, and empowerment of people with disabilities located in rural southern India. We continue to work towards building a long-term sustainable relationship in which we can both benefit from knowledge translation and resource sharing to better serve our clients. 

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In the fall of 2023 NCCO was proud to send their first occupational therapist to ASSA for 5 weeks. Our therapist was able to observe the wonderful care ASSA provides a range of patients including stroke and spinal cord injury patients. Our goal was to build awareness of the importance of cognitive rehabilitation for these populations. Our therapist collaborated with the dedicated rehabilitation staff at ASSA to learn how culture, available resources, and current education on cognitive functioning, impacts the implementation of cognitive rehabilitation. 

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To continue working towards our goals, occupational therapists from NCCO will be returning to ASSA for our second 4-6 week learning opportunity. In addition, our Toronto-based team continues to participate in development of resources. During our partnership, NCCO is hoping to share its knowledge on traumatic brain injury assessment and treatment through the development of resource manuals and implementation, through knowledge translation, of clinical assessment and treatment skills. NCCO also hopes to engage in knowledge translation with the therapists of ASSA on environmental assessment including differences and similarities between the GTA and rural India. 

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HANDI-CARE International (HCI) is a registered Canadian charity, that facilitates these learning opportunities and funds programs at ASSA to fulfill their goal of serving the needs of people with disabilities in rural India. In 2023 NCCO was able to raise over $1000 for our partnership with the ASSA clinic. NCCO was also a proud sponsor of the walk-a-thon and gala events hosted by HCI.  

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We want to continue raise funds to help support the current programming at ASSA, including the purchasing of local materials and supplies for treatment. Some of these items are very reasonably priced in India, compared to prices for similar items in Canada. For example, a custom-fitted wheelchair in India costs merely $500, while such a wheelchair costs over $4000 in Canada. So, every dollar you donate will go a long way. 

 

Funds will also be used to help reduce the cost of travel for our volunteer providers, to remove barriers to participation. Of all funds donated 60% will be given directly to ASSA and 40% will be used to remove travel barriers for our therapists.