Kottayam: Julie Lunt, an expert occupational therapist in the UK for more than 25 years, says Kerala needs to shift from the conventional medical model to the social model while dealing with the challenged people. Formerly a consultant with the Helens Anderson Foundation, which used to advise the British government on the disability-related issues, she now runs New Path in Inclusion back home.She was here to attend a conference of the Institute of Person Centered Association in India (IPCAI) an NGO based here, in Kochi last week. She also wants to understand the person-centered approaches adopted here while dealing with such cases.
“Here in India, we still practise the institution-centred approach," she told DC. "There should be a shift to the 'social model from the medical model' where the therapist should work together with the disabled for mitigating their sufferings understanding their problems and concerns.” “In the UK, there is a personal budget for the disabled that the government allows. Here the government should allot funds for them, and take necessary measures for educating the public on the need,” she said.
