CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu govt has allocated Rs 1,485 crore for the department for the welfare of differently abled persons in the budget presented by finance minister Marie Wilson in the assembly on Wednesday.The govt will provide financial assistance covering up to 50% of the cost of equipment — capped at Rs 30,000 — for modern AI-based assistive devices.This includes sports prosthetic legs, myoelectric signal-operated upper limb prostheses, other high-end assistive devices, and cochlear implant batteries.The budget also announced the establishment of new govt institutions named ‘Nambikkai Illam’ for persons with intellectual disabilities, to be set up across five districts: Thanjavur, Tiruvannamalai, Salem, Cuddalore and Virudhunagar.These institutions will provide special education, early intervention services, rehabilitation and vocational training to children aged three years and above. In the initial phase, each institution will function as a day school with 50 students, before being upgraded to include residential facilities. The govt has allocated Rs 4 crore for this initiative.The minister said the govt’s approach to disability welfare was rooted in its broader principle that “all lives are equal by birth.”
