PROCESS AND OUTCOME DIMENSIONS OF SOCIAL INNOVATION IN THE CARE AND REHABILITATION OF THE DIFFERENTLY ABLED.

Social innovation has reached a stage to address a host of issues like income deprivations, displacement, disability, racism, communal conflicts, and exclusion of the subaltern and other discriminated groups in the society. In Indian situation care giving of the differently abled particularly those having mental illness is a matter of grave concern. Varied approaches including institutionalized care and family and community based care are tried out in different contexts depending on the nature and severity of illness. The present paper tries to examine the rehabilitation of the differently abled through the individual initiatives inspired by faith dimensions of Catholic Church lasting over a period of twenty years in the State of Kerala and outside. The objective is to explore the process and outcome dimensions of such social innovation to find out the motivating drivers which makes this programme sustainable. The paper is the outcome of the study conducted on the theme as part of the doctoral research of the first author where the study adopted a Grounded Theory approach and methodology to analyse and theorize the processes and outcomes of such initiatives. The results of the study brings out new relationships and innovative drives and motivations exceptional to the traditional philanthropic methods as well as professional care and rehabilitation approaches thereby characterising social innovation in disability care giving and rehabilitation.