About KARO

Throughout the centuries we have designed our societies considering persons with disabilities as not existing , and taking for granted that all human beings can see, hear, walk , understand and react quickly to signals from the world around them. . This lack of empathy allowed our society an open channel to proceed with the exclusion of millions of people with disabilities

- Bengt Lindqvist

KARO - A Movement by and for People with Disability

We aim at “A strong, vibrant, proactive and mass based state organisation of Disabled People; federated with Advocacy Groups at village level; and federated at block, district, and state level. All Disabled People of this state directly or indirectly will be the part of this Movement. This will strive for addressing the issues and concerns of Disabled People through out the state. This is not a non-Governmental organisation but functions as a people’s movement. The movement will enable people with disabilities to access their legitimate rights and entitlements Rights from disability certificate to all the facilities of the state for which they are entitled. This will also make sincere and serious efforts to address the basic and fundamental issues such as discrimination, exclusion, injustice, inequalities and denial of rights and opportunities of people with disabilities simultaneously. We will combat against attitudinal, institutional and environmental barriers which potentially prevent people with disabilities to exercise their rights and discharge their duties with dignity. Our struggle is to end discrimination, exclusion, exploitation, injustice, inequalities and up root the barriers in the society. Enabling people with disabilities to access their rightful, lawful, equal, just and legit met share and position in the society is the primary and ultimate goal.


2. Vision:

We envision an “inclusive, equal, just and barrier free society where every disabled person plays Her/His role in far with fellow citizens”

3. Mission:
Our mission is to “Enable people with disabilities to empower them selves to organize and lead their struggle for equity and justice”.

4. Aims and Objectives:

A. Facilitating enabling conditions for people with disabilities to organize.

B. Creating new awakening among people with disabilities about their rights and entitlements.

C. Enabling people with disabilities to access their rights and entitlements.

D. Uprooting the discrimination, exclusion, injustice, inequality and exploitation against people with disabilities in all its forms and manifestations.


E. Ensuring effective and meaningful participation of people with disabilities in the entire decision making, policy making process concerning them.

F. Enabling people with disabilities to contest elections and get elected to the decision making bodies and institutions to raise their voice and concerns.

G. Ensuring effective and meaningful participation and inclusion of people with disabilities in all spheres of life at all levels.

H. Ensuring adequate and appropriate representation of people with disabilities in all the processes, actions and institutions.

5. Our Stand:

A. Disability is a diversity of human society.

B. Disability is not mere a rehabilitation issue but a development and human rights issue.

C. We are most capable to understand, discuss, debate, voice and address our needs and concerns very effectively than anybody else on the earth.

D. Nothing about us with out us.

E. Poverty is both a cause and consequence of disability and our primary goal is to end poverty of people with disabilities.

F. Promoting dignity, individuality, integrity, self determination and autonomy of people with disabilities is our prime responsibility and we are committed to protect it at any cost.

G. Our struggle is to access our legitimate and equal share and position in the society.

H. We are most capable enough to lead our struggle for equity and justice.

I. Issue of an Individual with disability is our issue and any issue of the movement becomes the issue of an individual.


6. Values:

We the integral part of this movement uphold and, internalize, follow and practice following values as the values of our movement;

A. Transparency; All the actions, decisions, processes, activities, documents and programmes are transparent and any citizens of this country can access them. There is nothing hidden and we are open for constructive criticism and change.

B. Accountability: Our primary accountability is to people with disabilities regardless of their membership status with the movement. All the financial documents, bills and vouchers will be kept open and any citizen of this country can access them.

C. Democracy: Our struggle is based on the strong foundation of democratic values and principles. We ensure democratic processes in all our actions, decision making processes, elections, selections and any other processes.

D. Gender equity and justice: All our actions and process will be gender sensitive and we are committed to promote gender equity and justice at all levels and all spheres of the struggle. Gender insensitivity and injustice will not be tolerated.

E. Secular: We are a secular movement and do not tolerate discrimination on the basis of religion, caste, creed, colour, race, ethnicity, language and place of birth in the country.

F. Apolitical: We are a non-political party group and do not associate or appealiate with any political parties. We maintain equal distance from all the political parties of the country.

G. Mutual respect for human rights: We uphold and advocate the values and principles of human rights and recognize the rights of others. We respect the rights of our fellow citizens and do not cause violation.

H. Honesty and Downward accountability: Our primary accountability is to all people with disabilities and we are committed to be accountable and answerable for them at any point of time and place.

I. Courage of conviction: We are committed to resist, protest, condemn, voice and discard; discrimination, exclusion, injustice, exploitation and inequalities very strongly and effectively with clear and loud words in all forms and manifestations at all levels, aspects, against any position, relationship or powerful.

13. Activities:

a. Facilitating regular and timely meetings.

b. Discussing issues and addressing them effectively.

c. Enabling people with disabilities to access medical/disability certificate or ID card.

d. Enabling people with disabilities to access their entitlements such, bus pass, train concession, pension, scholarship, loans, vocational training, assistance for education, higher and professional education, making public buildings, places and transport barrier free, addressing the cases of discrimination, exclusion and injustice.

e. Enabling people with disabilities to access schemes, programmes, concessions, relaxations and any other entitlements from the state or voluntary agencies.

f. Protesting and condemning the acts of discrimination, exclusion and injustice against people with disabilities with clear and loud voice and action.

g. Ensuring effective, timely and appropriate utilization of resources/funds allocated for people with disabilities both in state and voluntary sector.

h. Ensuring all the departments, ministries, institutions, organizations, agencies, bodies, officials, voluntary agencies work effectively and discharge their functions efficiently.

i. Enabling people with disabilities to contest in local body elections or the elections of decision making bodies in order to get them elected so that they can effectively raise their voice and concerns in the decision making process.

j. Filling petitions and litigations in the court against the discriminatory and exclusionary processes with people with disabilities.

k. Enabling people with disabilities to lead married life.

l. Enabling people with disabilities to access adequate and appropriate forms of recreational facilities.

m. Enabling people with disabilities to access appropriate and adequate medical facilities such as surgery, assistive devises, therapy, medication and any other medical assistance.

n. Enabling children and adult with disabilities to access appropriate and most suitable form of education.

o. Enabling people with disabilities to access their due share, various reservation quotas in education, employment and other benefits of the state

Contact Address
G.Ramanathan

State Secretary

Karnataka Rajya Angavikalara Okkuta
No. 71 2nd Cross Bhasyamnagar Srirampuram
Bangalore 560 021
Ph- 080 23470327
Mobile - 9480112582 / 9916909713

Email – secretariat.karo@gmail.com