Job Profile – Occupational Therapist / Speech Therapist (Urban Slum Programme)
Position: Occupational Therapist / Speech Therapist (Programme-Based Position)
Location: Puliyanthope & Korukkupet, Chennai
Reporting To: Programme Coordinator
Vidya Sagar (Formerly The Spastic Society of India) is a Non-Profit organization, based in Chennai registered under the Tamil Nadu Societies Act. working with children and young adults with
multiple disabilities, their families and the community they live in.
Vidya Sagar is a 40-year-old organization recognized for its quality, with a proactive and positive spirit of its team of professionals. The organization focuses on the holistic development and
education of children and adults with special needs. Vidya Sagar believes in the right to opportunities and an all-inclusive society. We have so far reached out to 7 lakh persons with disabilities.
About this project
Urban informal settlements in Chennai present a complex set of vulnerabilities, where limited access to welfare systems, healthcare, and social support structures affects multiple sections
of the population. Within this context, persons with disabilities experience compounded exclusion due to gaps in identification, certification, rehabilitation services, assistive support, and access to
entitlements.
Evidence from national and global estimates indicates that disability prevalence is often underreported in administrative data. The Census of India (2011) estimates disability prevalence at
around 2.2% of the population, while global estimates suggest higher prevalence. In low-income urban settlements, identification is often significantly lower than actual prevalence due to
underreporting, limited screening, and social stigma.
In Chennai’s settlement context, persons with disabilities frequently face:
- Delayed or lack of identification and certification
- Limited access to early intervention, therapy, and rehabilitation services
- Gaps in access to social security schemes and entitlements
- Barriers to inclusion in education, livelihoods, and community life
- High dependence on families with limited structured support systems
- These challenges are further intensified in resettlement sites, which are located away from core urban areas, as well as in dense urban settlements where service access is fragmented and specialised support systems are limited.
- Recognising these context-specific gaps, the urban programme is working through a structured, community-based approach that focuses on facilitating access to welfare entitlements,
- addressing civic service gaps, and strengthening community engagement with local governance systems.
- This is implemented through trained field cadres working at the settlement level, supported by resource centres, systematic data tracking, and continuous engagement with public systems.
This intervention is being undertaken as a pilot in three selected clusters. Vidyasagar is engaged as a specialist partner to implement the CBR programme in two city-based clusters (Royapuram and Puliyanthope), focusing on delivering structured rehabilitation services while contributing to the development of a scalable and replicable model for disability inclusion in urban
settlement contexts.
Role Summary :
The therapist will support PwDs in improving daily living skills, communication, and functional independence through structured interventions.
Key Responsibilities
- Conduct assessments in camps and home visits
- Develop therapy plans for:
- Daily living skills (OT)
- Communication and speech (Speech Therapist)
- Provide home-based therapy support
- Train caregivers on exercises and techniques
- Recommend assistive devices if needed
- Support community workers in follow-up
- Maintain records and progress
Qualifications & Skills
- Degree in Occupational Therapy / Speech Therapy
- Experience in disability/community work preferred
- Tamil communication skills
- Ability to work in field settings
Additional Requirement
- Two-wheeler preferred
- Nature of work and travel
- Field-based with community visits and functional resource centre
- working hours may get extended based on field situation
- Needs to use a Two-wheeler for field travel
- Coordination with other team members in the team
- Needs to be creative to take up therapy follow ups and parent training in urban low resource communities
Last date for the application : Friday, 29th May, 2026. Applications with detailed resume, qualifications and experience to be sent to
admin@vidysagar.co.in