The genesis of the Handicapped Welfare Federation (HWF) was an emotional one, with the seeds sown in August of 1972, when a group of young educated people with disabilities met,  to later form a Recreational Club with the aim of exchanging notes on common challenges and ways to resolve them. They met at the Boat Club, India Gate in Delhi, played games as passers-by watched  with awe as they had not hitherto seen mobility aids that were being used.  In less than a year,  HWF was registered under the Societies Registration Act of 1860, with Mr Siddhartha Khosla being elected as its first President. Today, HWF has 700 members !! Their objective is to ensure those with special abilities (and not disabilities) lead a life of grace and dignity and make it a movement, while promoting brotherhood amongst themselves. Thanks to support from the State Government HWF today has considerable space with good infrastructure serving the under-privileged communities at Madhu Vihar, Indraprastha Estate in New Delhi. The building comprises a computer training lab; inclusive school facilities at the primary level; a dance school for the specialty abled; and vocational training facilities besides a very large ground for sports activities. 

 
Many of the children frequenting HWF require physiotherapy and occupational therapy, with some of them having indications for speech therapy and special education. The Neuroaid and Research Foundation (NRF) is privileged to collaborate with HWF effective January 2023, and supports HWF with weekly visits by both physical and occupational therapists. NRF has a team of highly qualified, experienced and passionate doctors and therapists (physical, occupational & speech therapists, special educators, clinical psychologists and a developmental paediatrician). While it is too early to show outcomes, the HWF-NRF partnership is on the right path and should, in the next 6-12 months, be able to expand its activities to cover a larger cross-section of economically weaker sections of people and offer them the needed services. It was a short tenure partnership.