From 1986 – 1989 a CBR program with a bottom up strategy was started by SMRC in the Jatni Block of Khurda in collaboration with the Local Self-Government, Block Level Functionaries, Government of India Institutions i.e., The Artificial Limb Manufacturing Corporation, The Vocational Rehabilitation Centre and the local voluntary groups.

The above program too was based on a multi – sectoral approach and the principles of community involvement, participation and equality. A major program of awareness building and prevention of disability was deployed. The result of Jatni gave us the confidence to work towards reintegrating the severely disabled back to work in their own communities while, strengthening the Primary Health Centres (PHCs) and District Health Centre (DHCs) as nodal points of care.

Thereafter, this learning process enabled SMRC to establish the several components of health and socio economic rehabilitation, expertise and create a  technically professional manpower so as to return back to community work in a manner that, the built up service delivery systems are strengthened through both Government and Non Government linkages. The devastation of the super cyclone and the rebuilding of the project was a result of the courage of the community and this itself indicated the success of the CBR programme.

Living in India, we knew, that disability in rural areas would remain a concern as most Indians lived there with no resources and usually in sheer poverty. Most people did not want to work in rural areas under these very difficult circumstances. Ten urban based campaigns were easier to handle than one rural work. But, it was rural people and their issues that became central to the work of SMRC for the next twenty years. To learn about disability in rural areas, a Block (Jatni) consisting of 111 villages was adopted. Here staff of SMRC walked to all villages talking to persons with disabilities and their communities. With the help of local government and other organizations, attempt was made to provide each person with disability, their minimum needs in terms of medical health, assistive devices, creating awareness on prevention, livelihood etc. To dialogue with community and disability awareness, make home visits for disability interventions and creating a base for rights.  For the livelihood a Self Help Group for women was setup.

We spent three years on this interesting multi-sectoral collaborative action project by networking with the Panchayat and Block functionaries, women groups, youth clubs, Primary Health Centres of the Government of Orissa and Government of India Institutions - namely the Vocational Rehabilitation Centre and the Artificial Limb Manufacturing Corporation, the official suppliers of mobility aids and assistive devices. This community based rehabilitation program was an unqualified success.