The Spastics Society of India, now called ADAPT (Able Disabled All People Together) is a Non-Government Organization (NGO) that was set up in 1972 by Padmashri Dr. Mithu Alur, a parent of a daughter who was born with cerebral palsy to address the lack of services and knowledge that existed at that time. The main aim was to alert the nation to their needs and show how the government and community could help them to be included into existing services.
Since no educational services existed, The Spastics Society of India began a unique model combining education and treatment under one roof. It moved children away from a medical hospital setting to a special school setting to demonstrate that children with multiple disabilities could be educated and get treatment through a holistic approach. Today many of the students with a little modification are pursuing careers in accounting, journalism, library sciences, finance, computing and some have set up their own successful businesses. Others have pursued academics at the Masters and Ph.D. level. Pedagogy, manpower training was interwoven into the first innovative model. The organization was unique in showing how professionalism could be delivered with care.
Today ADAPT is one of the largest NGO’s in India. From a special school started with three students it has grown to provide services that include assessment, treatment, education, support services for inclusion, counselling vocational guidance, advocacy, awareness, women’s empowerment programmes and employment training. The current direct services are provided in Mumbai at Colaba, Bandra, Chembur and in the slums of Dharavi. Skills Development was introduced for young adults with disability in 1989. Over 3,000 children and 10,000 families in Mumbai and over 100,000 around the country have benefited from the services.