VREDP

Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment of Disabled Persons (VREDP) was established in 1992 as the Project to produce a cost-effective program which could make rehabilitation and employment services available to people with disabilities living in far flung and slum areas by utilizing the resources available in the community. It is a Non-Institutionalized Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) project which is responsible not only for rehabilitation but also to ensure equalization of opportunities and social integration of all the people with disabilities by providing appropriate Health, Education, Vocational and Social Services through Mobilizing local Community. This project was initially established in collaboration with:

Ministry of Social Welfare & Special Education, Government of Pakistan

United Nation Development Program (UNDP)

International Labor Organization (ILO)

To give the real shape to the theme of CBR, the core office namely Rehabilitation Unit was executed in Islamabad under which three Service Centers i.e. SC-I, SC-II and SC-III were established at Islamabad, Karachi & Gujrat respectively. The aim behind the establishment of VREDP was to actualize this participatory approach through Service Centre at gross root level to the marginalized communities.

Objectives of VREDP:

1. To Develop a National Program of Rehabilitation Assistance To Enhance Economic And Social Functioning of Special Persons Through Mobilizing of Community Resources.
2. To Establish a Non-institutional Community Based Rehabilitation Program To Reach Larger Number of Persons with disabilities in more cost-effective ways to cater the need of Special persons through Vocational Guidance, Vocational Training & Income Generation activities.
3. To increase the employment of Special persons both male and female on suitable job training and active participation of business community by encouraging them training and employment of persons with disabilities.
4. To create awareness and motivate local community to participate in the rehabilitation process of the persons with disabilities through seminars/workshops.
5. Assessment of persons with disabilities.
6. Skill Development.
7. Placement on skill training of persons with disabilities.
8. Income generation opportunities for trained persons with disabilities.
9. Coordination & helping in employment.
10. Create awareness program.
11. Providing counseling & Guidance on carrier to persons with disabilities.
12. Providing assistive devices to persons with disabilities with the help of other organizations
13. Health Services (Arrange Medical Camps, Medical Consultation, and Physiotherapy.) and Referral Services.

Benefits: There are numerous benefits of a vocational training, these include:

(1) The training of persons with disabilities at  community level enable them to carry on an economic activity in which they can use their vocational qualifications or aptitudes in the light of employment prospects.

(2) Persons with disabilities can start self employment through efforts of VREDP

(3) Promoted reasonable accommodation, after medical advice, in occupations in which the performance of the work involved is affected by, or affects, the disability to the least possible degree;

(4) Persons with disabilities acquire the skill necessary for working normally on an equal basis with workers without disabilities in the community through institutions of STEVTA.

(5) Encourage employers to provide training for persons with disabilities; such measures should include, as appropriate, financial, technical, medical or vocational assistance.