Dr. Rajinder Johar

Dr. Rajinder Johar was born in Jalandhar, Punjab into a family that was committed to serving the nation, with his father being a part of the Armed Forces.

Dr. Johar completed his Bachelors in Occupational Therapy from Pt. Deendayal Upadhyaya National Institute for Persons with Physical Disabilities. After completing his studies, he worked as an occupational therapist with King George’s Medical College, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh for 20 years.

The ‘Family of Disabled’ (FOD) was established in 1992 by Dr. Johar, after he became a quadriplegic himself following an injury to his cervical spine (1986) and was rendered bed-ridden for life. He had two options, either to succumb to the condition and lead a meaningless life or gather all his forces and bounce back with a vengeance. He opted for the latter. Three factors facilitated his decision 1) Being bedridden, he had plenty of time to think and plan about rehabilitation of people stuck on the crossroads of various disabilities. 2) His academic and professional knowledge / experience helped him to execute these plans better. 3) Twenty years of working life involving physical rehabilitation of innumerable persons with disabilities and five years of his own disabling condition made him determined to continue to pursue the cause of rehabilitation passionately.

According to Dr Johar, “Disability brings with it social  unacceptability. Life seems to be moving in a de-accelerated motion. To rekindle hope in the lives of persons and families coping with it is like lighting a lamp in the dark. This light is aimed at bringing joy to the lives of others. However, diminishing the darkness is a major challenge.”

People in this situation undoubtedly need the consideration of others but compassion alone is not enough. A support system is required for the holistic rehabilitation of a disabled person. Thus, all the programmes of FOD are aimed at making the disabled persons self-reliant. By founding the Family of Disabled in 1992, Dr. Johar and his team enabled thousands of disabled individuals to live an independent and financially secure life but also take care of their dependants.

His strength lay in his conviction and dedication towards the cause. His untiring efforts to utilise his every second, to support, motivate and establish the disabled people remains unparalleled. Though physically cut off from the outside world, he was able to reach out and touch the hearts of numerous disabled people and their families. He was always accessible to the disabled people he continued to serve till his last breath.

An example of his resilience and determination was the writing devicethat he designed with the help of his brother when who couldn’t find one for his own requirement in the market. He used to tie this indigenous writing device it to his wrist and used his shoulder movements to write. Incidentally, it was this device, which he used, to write letter to Rev. Mother Teresa seeking her blessings to start the organisation, which she promptly and wholeheartedly sent.

Though he is not physically present among us anymore, he continues to inspire millions with the life he led. We strongly believe that he is with us in spirit and will continue to guide and bless us as we take his grand legacy forward.

At present there are volunteers, supporters, well-wishers & employees – a team that he created for FOD, which continues to give shape to his vision. We miss his advice, planning and organising skills but the training under his able leadership helps us a lot in treading on the path shown by him.