Home | Ekyam Impact

Enabling Persons with Disabilites from Military Fraternity

Military personnel and their families with disability face unique additional challenges shaped by the demands and experiences of the services.

Problem Statement

The Indian armed forces have the highest number of disabled employees, with 100,000+ personnel disabled due to military action. In addition, with a population of 1,500,000 service personnel, there are large number of disabled children of these personnel in need of specialized support, education, occupational therapy, and pathways for employability.

Veterans With Disabilities

- The RPwD Act of 2016 is not applicable to the Armed Forces. Hence, all the rehabilitation remedies stipulated by the act are not applicable for personnel.

- Annually, 200 military personnel join the ranks of the disabled personnel, mostly belonging to rural backgrounds and limited financial resources.

- They face challenges from socio-psychological integration, economic challenges to job opportunities.

- Skilling and Employment opportunities for these veterans remain low due to the gaps in outreach, comprehensive policies and market-needs fitment.

Children with Special Needs of Military Personnel

- Children with Special Needs of Military Personnel are provided special education in 50+ special schools, run by Army, Air Force and Navy under their welfare organsaions AWWA, AFFWA and NWWA.

- Special Children and young adults (specially neurodiverse) from military families often face the challenge of adjusting to new environments, impacting their learning and adaptation

- In addition, young adults above 18 years also face the challenge of skilling, employability and entrepreneurship.

1 Lakh+ Military

Veterans with Disability

50,000

Children with Special Needs

of Armed Forces Personnel

Inclusion and Employability in civil society remains a challenge

Limited sector experience and understanding of Nodal bodies managing PwD

Children with Special Needs from the fraternity move every 2-3 years with transfer of parents

Grants received by Disabled Military Fraternity in 2022:

< 2%

of Disability Sector spend

Project FaujiMitra

An initiative to address the problems faced by the Disabled veterans, and children and young adults with special needs from the military fraternity, by creating a comprehensive support ecosystem through multi pronged approach of direct implementation projects and collaboration with existing organizations and philanthropies working in providing special education, counselling, skilling and job opportunities.

Highlight of the Month

On August 30, 2025, in a first-of-its-kind initiative, MITTI Cafe was inaugurated at Air Force Station, Jalahalli, Bangalore, in collaboration with the Indian Air Force (IAF) and AFFWA.
Our partnership with Mitti Café has led to the employment of 7 incredible young adults from the FaujiMitra family— most with intellectual and developmental disabilities. They are now confidently managing the café, alongside their other café colleagues, wearing their uniforms with pride, and serving with joy and skill. For these young adults, this café is more than just a workplace — it is their first opportunity for dignified earning, financial independence, and social inclusion.