HWF has started its activities way back is 1972 when some educated young physically challenged persons decided to meet on first Sunday of every month so that to take up our problems with the various Ministries of the government of India, Delhi Administration and other government agencies like DDA, MCD and NDMC etc. As HWF started knocking the corridors of various Ministries, P. M. House, Parliament House, Rashrapati Bhawan our presence felt in the government offices and society as well. The most ignored amongst the disabilities sector were the persons with locomotor disabilities. The concerned community started feeling the pain of having ignored this section. Gradually the files in various government departments started moving for favourable consideration. The pace was slow but positive.

HWF had been allotted a government accommodation to consolidate its activities at Kali Bari Marg, New Delhi by the joint efforts of Ministry of Social Welfare and Ministry of Works & Housing is 1978. Since the area came in the demolition plan of the government in the year 1981, the Hon’ble P. M. Indira Gandhi who had deep interest for the cause of the disabled persons helped our Federation with alternative accommodation at Tansen Marg, Bengali Market, New Delhi from where HWF’s actual journey began towards self-dependence and self-reliance. The government machinery at State and Central level supported fully to help HWF in its multifarious activities to make the handicapped persons a complete Social Being.

We started with a small candle making envelops and file making training programmes immediately which helped us in making ten persons with special needs to stand on their own feet during the first year. Next year we added another service wing that is Orthotic & Prosthetic Workshop under the able guidance of Mr. Arthur E. Ramzan housed in a temporary shed in the rear lawn of the building to provide repairing facility of the mobility aids like caliper etc. Soon after a short while the physiotherapy unit became functional under the able guidance of Dr. H. C. Goyal, a renowned consultant in physical rehabilitation. Hundreds of needy persons with various disabilities were benefited every year through the services provided by HWF. We took a turn towards education as well as medical-care of the children of slum areas. We realized this need during a survey which attracted the attention of our survey team as they found a large number of children creeping through the open drains and dirty lanes to enjoy the life with the peer group. This scene motivated us towards the cause as both the parents – daily wage earners – could not afford to take the child for medical care or education at the cost of the rest of the family. These children after a dedicated services of HWF for a year were seen to be more confident and self-reliant. Thereafter, we offered such services in various pockets of the city and elsewhere. The press media and word of mouth helped us a lot to reach the community. The Government of Delhi and Ministry of Social Welfare, Government of India always stood by us and supported our cause. We launched transport facility to 10 disabled children to & fro the school in Okhla area by providing them a rickshaw to access education. This scheme was also extended to Jeevan Park, Pankha Road, Uttam Nagar area in the year 1985. This was around the period when the financial status of the slum community was much under the poverty line. A Branch unit of HWF under the name of HWF Mata Ramkali Shiksha & Punarvas Kendra was set up is the year at village Churai – Dalpatpur, Meerganj in Distt Bareilly (UP).

The advocacy in motivating and focusing the attention of the government machinery at State and Central level, the private entrepreneur and business houses in promoting the strength of the so-called deprived community – physically challenged – helped us a lot in their acceptation as well as their placement at various levels.

Till 2002 we had been rendering our services from government accommodation allotted to us in New Delhi. We were allotted a plot of land in I. P. Extension with the recommendation of Hon’ble Chairman, DDA, Ministry of Social Welfare, Government of India and Government of NCT of Delhi. Although it was on subsidised price still we had to shell out a hefty amount. The projected building having covered area of 36000 sq ft. split equally on three floors shall provide the total rehabilitative services including education to over 500 children with board & lodging facility for 50 children, self-cantained 10 bedded orthotic medical centre for surgical and physical rehabilitative interventions, physical rehabilitation workshop, recreation centre, arts & crafts centre, dance & drama academy etc.

HWF has taken a step forward in fulfilling its dream to construct HWF Bhawan by completing the 1^st phase – ground floor – with the support of the Chief Minister Delhi, Lion Jagdish Aggarwal, Lion’s Club Bengali Market and other philanthropist friends. We are able to provide a large part of the facilities like special education, physically rehabilitation, providing mobility aids and some of the other activities for multi-disabled children and adults. Though the hostel facility and medical intervention facilities which are to be housed on upper floors yet to take off. We propose to start the 2^nd phase – second floor – in near future.