Ms. Poonam Natarajan is one of the pioneers of disability and development activities in India. In 1985, she founded the Spastics Society of India, Chennai, presently known as Vidya Sagar (Ocean of Knowledge).
Vidya Sagar today runs several programs, including early intervention, special education, physiotherapy, speech and communication therapy, vision training, occupational therapy, co-curricular activities, counseling, vocational training, exploring and creating employment opportunities, and training of resource persons to work in the field of disability.
She was Chairperson of the National Trust for the Welfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Intellectual Disability, and Multiple Disability, at the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Government of India from 2006-2014, where she was engaged in making disability policies, legislation, and programs that are rights-based and people-centered. She has pioneered a range of programs for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the area of health insurance, livelihoods, and assisted living. She also served as a member of the “New Law Committee” which was formed to harmonize national legislation with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Poonam Natarajan is at present is working on setting up a Resource Center for Living Independently in the Community. This is a pioneering work for adults with disabilities. It is named BLISS – Begin to Live Interdependently with Support Systems. The main objective is to set up a model of support in the community for adults with disabilities.
Before, joining the disability sector, she worked in the field of Academics, completing her MA and M.Phil. from Jawaharlal Nehru University at New Delhi. She has also co-authored a book called “Management of Cerebral Palsy:
She has won over 14 Awards for her work in disability, including the NCPEDP Hellen Keller Award and the UNESCAP Asia-Pacific Disability Rights Champions Award in 2012.