Lend a Helping Hand

New Delhi: Make a career by offering your services to the disabled

Physically disabilities restrict the individual in performing activities in order to become a productive member of the society. If you like new challenges and want to lend a helping hand to those who are disabled to regain their confidence, then a largely unexplored filed as an orthotist is awaiting you.

Orthotic Engineering means to replace the amputated or missing parts from the body of a disabled person with artificially made body parts. There is increasing realization about the right to equality of handicapped people now. The effort is afoot to curb the handicap with technology. This has certainly led to the surge in demand for Orthotic Engineers.

Career Prospects

The orthotic devices and other aids assist the persons with disabilities to achieve a level of performance that at best approaches that of the able-bodied persons. The orthotic courses are aimed at enabling qualified orthotists to work with physicians, therapists and other professionals involved in rehabilitation of handicap people in a clinical environment.

The courses include classroom interactive and practical session where students learn about manufacturing, measuring and fitting of appliances.

"The orthotic engineers are required to work in the filed of locomotor and artificial limb manufacturing. Any fresher can easily find a job in Government departments, NGO's, international developmental organizations, hospitals, clinics, and laboratories or with pharmaceutical companies, or become faculty members in colleges.

Entry into any of the pharmaceutical companies requires strict formal education in the concerned area of work. The most important part of the job is that as a professional you find satisfaction in assisting a disabled a person to fulfill his or her dreams…," says Rehabilitation Council of India Assistant Director (academics), Subodh Kumar.

There is certainly a higher demand for orthotists specialized in the research field. As a researcher, you are required to design and develop lightweight orthotic devices and other rehabilitation aids.

The devices are used for a wide spectrum of physical disabilities. They are used to correct a deformity, to maintain the correction and support the unstable part of the body. One will be required to work with people having lower limb orthosis and upper limb orthosis.

As an orthotist, one will also be required to work on some of the most common from of deformities like wrist orthosis, hip-knee foot orthosis, elbow orthosis, spinal orthosis etc.

A career in this field deals with not only one's technical skills but it also ascertains how sensitive one is as a person. The condition of the patient may at times be very complicated and heart wrenching but as an orthotists, the prime objective should be to put the patient at ease and infuse the handicap people with encouragement.

The job is not only limited to manufacturing and fitting the devices but also to counsel the patients and to motivate them to overcome post traumatic syndromes that may occur mostly in accident cases.

The success of any orthotist depends on his skill to convince the handicapped people that how the orthotic devices are their best support and that they can live a normal life with those devices.

Remuneration

"Any fresher can get a salary at par with Government employees in a public department as per the fifth pay commission. While in NGO's and private jobs you start with a pay package of Rs 10,000 per month and after a couple of years of experience the salary doubles on an average," says Kumar.

Skills Required

  • A sympathetic attitude towards the rights of the disabled
  • Creativity with a scientific bent of mind
  • Holistic attitude
  • Must be friendly and easy going
  • Must be ready to work under tough conditions

Eligibility

The eligibility for a Bachelor'sdegree in Orthotics from any leading university or institutions is 10+2 with Biology as the main subject. While for the Master's programme, the eligibility is Bachelor's in Orthotic Engineering with a minimum of 50 per cent marks at the Bachelor's level.

Institutions

The courses in Orthotic Engineering are available both at diploma and degree level. Most of the institutions conduct entrance examinations followed with interviews to select the candidates. Some of the premiere institutes offering courses in this filed are:

  • The Department of Rehabilitation, Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi, conducts four-years degree programme in Orthotic Engineering
  • The Institute for Physically Handicapped, New Delhi, conducted two year diploma in Prosthetic and Orthotic Engineering
  • Rehabilitation Council of India, conducts at two-years certificate course, three-year diploma and four-year degree course in Prosthetic and Orthotic Engineering.
  • All India Institute for the Orthopedically Handicapped, Chennai, conducts a four-year degree course in Orthotic Engineering
  • Government Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, Chennai, conducts a diploma programme in Orthotic Engineering
  • Swami Vivekanada National Institute of Rehabilitation Training and Research, Cuttack, conducts two-year diploma programme

Source: Lend a helping hand. The Pioneer, Daily, New Delhi, 6 September 2006.