The National Trust (Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment)

The National Trust is a statutory body of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India, set up under the National Trust for the Welfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities Act, 1999. It functions under the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities and works to ensure the rights and welfare of persons with the four notified disabilities defined in the Act. The organisation focuses on capacity development, family empowerment, support for caregivers and the creation of an enabling, inclusive society. It works through a nationwide network of more than six hundred Registered Organisations that operate centres for persons with disabilities and their families. Flagship schemes include Niramaya health insurance, Disha early intervention, Vikaas day care, Samarth respite homes, Gharaunda group homes, Sahyogi caregiver training, Gyan Prabha educational support, Prerna marketing assistance for products made by persons with disabilities, Sambhav aids and assistive devices, and Badhte Kadam awareness drives. The National Trust aims to provide opportunities for capacity development of persons with disability and their families, fulfil rights, and promote an inclusive society in which human diversity is valued and persons with disability live independently with dignity and equal opportunities.