Mrs. Ann Fischer Memorial Training Institute for Special Education

Ecomwel Orthopaedic Centre was established in 1986 by Dr. Elizabeth Vomstein, a German Leprologist and was registered under the Tamil Nadu societies Act. The organization extended its helping hand to the rural differently abled for their welfare in a small way. Today it has became a pioneering institution in implementing various programmes of the differently abled, contacts of leprosy patients, rural poor and the underprivileged.

In the initial stages the organization was focusing its attention on polio affected children. Vaccination camps were conducted and awareness on polio eradication was created by counseling sessions. The organization had a day care centre and a physiotherapy unit and in 1992, a school for handicapped mainly for polio affected was started. The school had a hostel where polio affected children could stay and study upto their 8th standard. Thanks to the intensive campaigns by the Government, polio has been eradicated almost totally in the country.
In 2000, a special school for intellectually disabled children was established catering to the needs of children with Intellectually differently abled, Cerebral Palsy, Autism and Multiple Disabilities which is partly supported by National Trust, New Delhi .

In the same year, an Industrial school for the differently abled was started imparting training in the trades – Computer Software programming and offset printing.

A Special Teachers’ training institute specialized in Intellectual Differently abled was established in the year 2003 keeping in mind the shortage of special teachers in training and teaching the mentally retarded children.

In 2018, Early Intervention Center for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in the age group of 2 to 6 years was established by us in collaboration with Commissionerate for welfare of the differently abled , Govt. of Tamilnadu. The center runs in our premises, and also an extension centre in District Headquarters 60 children are being benefited from this program .

In 2019, Karunai Illam - Home for Persons with Mental illness was established in the year 2019 for the welfare of persons with mental illness, who are wandering in the street.The beneficiaries of this programme are the mentally ill persons rescued from the road sides and given shelter , food, clothing and psychiatric treatment and are reunited with their families.

In 2023, a home was established for destitute poor women and women cured of mental illness, who can’t be reunited with families after the rescue and treatment. Most Rev.Dr.Arulselvam Rayappan, Bishop of Salem inaugurated the new home for aged women on 08.12.2023.

The Director of this organization Mr. A. Lawrence, having a master’s degree in social work and a bachelor’s degree in Law has been with it right from its inception. His sincere and dedicated efforts have made the organization as an institution of social relevance rendering valuable services to the welfare of the differently abled.

In the year 2000, Mrs. M. Juliet having a bachelor’s degree in Engineering and a master’s in business administration became the Secretary of the Institution. Since then she is taking all efforts in making Ecomwel Orthopaedic Centre a model comprehensive rehabilitation centre catering to the needs of the differently abled. Dedicated staff ably assist the Director and Secretary in realizing their dream.

In the year 2022, Mr.Raymond L. Antony having a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science become Administrative Officer of the organisation and is zealously striving to take the organisation forward.

Ecomwel Orthopaedic Centre has earned various accolades from the Central and State Governments and Governmental and Non-Governmental organizations for its valuable and immeasurable services to the welfare of the differently abled.

Ecomwel Orthopaedic Centre has grown from a mere rehabilitation centre of 1986 to an organization providing comprehensive services to the differently abled by advocating the rights of the persons with disabilities and in their inclusion in the mainstream society thereby restoring their dignity.