Bhargavi is a childhood survivor of psychiatric institutions in India, and has endured long term trauma. Completely rejecting the medical model in ‘mental health’ for over 30 years, and naming the system as ‘violent’, Bhargavi published several books and papers critiquing psychiatry and its practices. She started the first OPD of persons with psychosocial disabilities in India in 1999, named the ‘Bapu Trust’. She leads the largest population-based peer support program for the global south, covering a population of 1 mn. people, from low income communities. The program promises ‘zero coercion’ and adopts a variety of support actions and community development practices, to build support systems for persons with disabilities. To bring her learnings to the world, she started ‘TCI’ (‘Transforming Communities for Inclusion’) by travelling and sharing resources with other countries in Asia, Pacific. TCI is now a global OPD, working to realize the full human rights of persons with psychosocial disabilities.
Bhargavi V. Davar will participate in the World Justice Forum working session Access to Justice for Women With Intellectual and Psychosocial Disabilities