About Us
Adding Life to Years Since 1997
Freedom Trust (Foundation for the Rehabilitation Education and Empowerment of the Disabled of Madras) was established in 1997 by Dr. Sunder, a renowned rehabilitation specialist. The trust was founded with the aim of addressing the mobility needs of physically challenged individuals in rural areas. The primary objective of Freedom Trust is to provide essential mobility aids such as wheelchairs, tricycles, artificial limbs, and orthoses to economically disadvantaged individuals with physical disabilities.
Since its inception, the Trust has remained committed to enhancing the quality of life of the disabled community by facilitating their mobility and access to opportunities. Over the past 28 years, Freedom Trust has made significant strides in fulfilling its mission. The trust has distributed mobility aids and appliances to approximately 40,000+ physically challenged individuals across the country through over 1,200+ rural camps, reaching out to remote communities in various states including Assam, Bihar, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Telangana, Goa, Karnataka, and Kerala. Through its dedicated efforts, Freedom Trust has become a beacon of hope for thousands of individuals with physical disabilities, empowering them with mobility.
A Journey of Impact:
Since 1996
Explore the remarkable evolution of Freedom Trust from its humble beginnings in 1996 to its current status as a national pillar in rehabilitation and empowerment.
View Our Story (PDF)
What our Founder has to say
Rural Camps
Gram Vikalang Punarjanmam
GVPOur project, Gram Vikalang Punarjanmam, is dedicated to supporting individuals affected by a range of physical challenges, including Polio, Muscular Dystrophy, Locomotor disability, and spinal cord injury. Through this initiative, we aim to provide customized appliances such as callipers, special furniture, surgical boots, and various other aids, like wheelchairs, crutches, and walkers. We strive to empower individuals to regain independence and lead a life with dignity. Gram Vikalang Punarjanmam embodies our commitment to inclusivity and ensuring that all members of society, regardless of their physical abilities, have access to mobility.
Walk India
Making every rural amputee walkA sizeable number of physically handicapped are amputees, who have lost their lower limbs due to accidents or diseases such as diabetes. Among the various types of physical disabilities, people with lower limb amputation benefit the most when fitted with a prosthesis (artificial limb). An artificial limb is essential to make an amputee get back his life and to resume livelihood. It is our long-term vision to make people with lower limb amputation across India get back on their feet with appropriate customized prostheses.
Freedom Trust's visionary project, “Walk India,” is a “dream come true” project, conceptualized by Dr. Sunder, our founder, which aims to ensure that lower limb amputees across India receive appropriate prostheses, enabling them to walk again. Through specialized camps held in towns and villages nationwide, Freedom Trust facilitates limb fitting, empowering amputees to walk with newly fitted prostheses. “Walk India” represents our commitment to rehabilitation and empowerment, ensuring that rural amputees have the opportunity to reclaim their lives with confidence and dignity.
Sishu Punarjanmam
Arts & Music ScholarshipsShishu Punarjanmam, a project aimed at nurturing and empowering differently abled and exceptionally talented children in the realms of music and fine arts. Launched in 2003, this initiative has facilitated numerous students in establishing successful careers in their respective fields. Through Shishu Punarjanmam, selected students receive scholarships and specialized training tailored to their interests and abilities.
Our Sishupunarjanmam scholars Akshaya & Manoj have done exceedingly well. While Manoj is defending his PhD thesis this year for his Doctorate Degree in Music, Akshaya has blossomed into a fine young musician both as a Vocalist and Violinist. Lokesh, Indrakumar & Suvedha have become trainers in the field of arts, while Hidayathulla works as a keyboard trainer in a school. Our music scholars were invited to perform during the famous Margazhi Music Festival in Chennai by Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan & Bharat Kalachar. Samaya Aishwarya is pursuing higher studies in music. We plan to recruit fresh scholars after a talent hunt during the current financial year 2024–25.
The project's success is evident in the achievements of five differently abled scholars, who have been honoured with the prestigious Most Creative Individual Award in the field of arts by the President of India on five successive years.
Objectives of the Trust
Enable mobility and physical independence to the disabled from rural India, thereby training them to be independent.
Provide vocational rehabilitation for those trained in the arts, like the ocularistry project.
Train physiotherapists, orthotists, occupational therapists and special educators in rehabilitation.
Maintain an appliance bank that provide the beneficiary with aids that have been recycled.
Extend training and scholarship to talented differently abled children in the fields of arts, music & dance.
Create an inpatient rehabilitation centre for the economically backward sections of society.
Spearhead research in the area of biomedical engineering to harness appropriate technology for the disabled.
Propagation of classical music awareness.
Set up a research and development centre for mobility aids and appliances.
Create a network of workshops to service and repair appliances for the locomotor disabled.
Remain an agile and lean organisation to reach the full benefit of funds received from our donors.
Programs by the Trust
GRAM VIKALANG PUNARJANMAM (GVP)
Persons with locomotor handicap need mobility aids to mainstream themselves in society. GVP is our rural program where Freedom Trust conducts assessment and disbursement camps to enable mobility by distributing these appliances free of cost.
DARSHAN
An orchestra comprising of differently abled performers, and a gallery of paintings by differently abled artists.
APPLIANCE BANK
FT is setting up a 'first of its kind' appliance bank to collect mobility aids like crutches, service them, and give them away to those in need of short-term rehabilitation.
REHABASICS
FT sponsors and conducts annual conferences in rehabilitation bringing together experts and rehab professionals for knowledge sharing.
SHISHU PUNARJANMAM
A program that gives a fresh lease of life to differently abled, by training exceptionally talented children in the fields of music and arts, and rehabilitating them vocationally.
WALK INDIA
FT sends qualified professionals to conduct special camps for limb fitting across India, enabling amputees to walk with newly fitted limbs, provided free of cost.
RELIEF EFFORTS
During calamities, FT steps in to provide essential aids and appliances for those with locomotor disabilities in affected areas.
INPATIENT REHABILITATION WARDS
Creation of inpatient rehab wards in hospitals to support and provide high-quality rehabilitation for those in need.
OCULARISTRY PROJECT
An unique program that trains children with painting skills to manufacture custom artificial eyes (ocular prosthesis).
“Reaching out to help is a natural human tendency. But very few actually do it. If you are one of those that believe in doing more than talking, I invite you here to spend your money, use our skills, or just dedicate your time to a worthy cause.”
Dr. Sunder Subramaniam
Founder, Freedom Trust