Kalpana Links
(1) Kalpana Page on Facebook - for comments, questions and communications
(2) Sunil Deepak on Facebook - for comments, questions and communications
(3) Sunil's Scientific & Professional Writings - articles, reports and other publications on leprosy, health, disability and research
(4) Arre Kya Baat Hai - Sunil's English blog for his writings
(5) Awaragi - Blog in Italiano per gli scritti di Sunil
(6) Jo Na Keh Sake (जो न कह सके) - Sunil's Hindi Blog (हिंदी लेखन)
(7) Sunil on Twitter
About Kalpana
Kalpana.it is a completely non-commercial website, it has no cookies, no ads, no information collection about its users. If you see/find something on Kalpana.it, which should not be there, please do send me an email at: sunil.deepak(at)gmail.com (replace (at) with @ in the email address).
The word Kalpana comes from Hindi and means imagination. It started as a small personal webpage called Srijan in 2001, found its present address as Kalpana in 2005 and over the years has grown in its present form. It is a hand-coded website designed in HTML and CSS. It has been redesigned a few times, the last time in early 2023. It is managed by Dr. Sunil Deepak, Schio (VI), Italy.
The main motivation for setting up this website was to share Sunil's father's (Om Prakash Deepak's) writings, who had died young - he was a writer, translator and journalist, closely associated with the socialist movement in India.
Over the years, Kalpana has grown to present other works including those by Sunil's extended family and friends.
Feel free to copy and share all articles and images credited to Dr Sunil Deepak on this website. The copyright of materials credited to other persons whose works are presented on Kalpana belongs to them.
About Dr. Sunil Deepak (Updated in April 2023)
My name is Sunil. I am originally from India and live in Schio (VI) in the north-east of Italy. I am responsible of the creation, design and running of this trilingual webzine.
Sunil's Professional Life
I am a retired medical doctor and my professional areas of expertise are leprosy, primary health care, community health, community-based rehabilitation (CBR), leprosy control and rehabilitation and Community Emancipatory Research (CER). For almost four decades, I have worked at an international voluntary organisation engaged in health care and rehabilitation based in Bologna, Italy (AIFO). Over the years I have also worked with different U.N. organizations especially the World Health Organization (WHO) and many NGOs.
In 2014, I was in Guwahati (India) for a couple of years. Since late 2016, I am back in Italy but try to spend a few months in India every year. I continue to collaborate with AIFO as a volunteer.
Now, formally retired, I am happy to mentor and support individuals and organisations interested in emancipatory research and community researches. I also hope to devote some time to preparation of learning materials on emancipatory research and community research in Hindi. You can read or download some of my professional reports, research articles and publications (mostly in English and PDF format) from the list at the bottom of this page.
Passions and Interests
During 2021-22, while being closed at home due to Covid-19, I rediscovered an old passion - writing fiction in Hindi. In early 2023, I have completed my first Hindi novel, for which I am looking for a publisher. I am also working on my second book in Hindi. I have been trying to write these books since 2001 - there are 3 stories in my mind, I call them my "Amar Akbar Anthony" trilogy because all of them have lost mothers or fathers or brothers, just like the Manmohan Desai film. I am glad that finally I have been able to complete the first of these books, and I am keeping my fingers crossed that I may finish writing all three of them. If you are a publisher and want to read it, do contact me.
Since 2004-05, I am also active as a blogger and I have 4 blogs -
(1) An English blog caled Arre Kya Baat Hai
(2) A Hindi blog called Jo Na Keh Sake
(3) An Italian blog called Awaragi
A recipe blog in Italian called Curcuma e Zenzero.
I like art, history, dance, drama and all kinds of cultural events. I also love going around on my bicycle.
You can also contact me through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Linked-In, Academia and Research Gate.
Sunil's Professional Publications
Below you will find some research articles and reports by Dr Sunil Deepak. All the documents are in PDF format and are organised in chronological order (from most recent to the older).
The papers provided below are sub-divided into 3 categories - CBR/CBID, Emancipatory Research and Leprosy.
Dr Deepak can be contacted by email at - sunil.deepak(at)gmail.com
Disability and Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR)
- Report of a national survey in Mongolia on Assistive Technology Capacity Assessment (ATA-C Survey) carried out in September-October 2019 as a consultant for AIFO, in collaboration with Tegsh Niigem Mongolia, with technical support from World Health Organisation and funding from Global Disability Innovation Hub, UK (December 2019 version).
- Report of a Diagnostic Study on the DPOs in Liberia - A comprehensive report about the National Union of Organisations of Disabled (NUOD) and Disabled Peoples Organisations (DPOs) in Bong, Grand Gedeh and Nimba counties of Liberia, with background information about state and non-state organisations and institutions active in the disability sector. Full report updated on 14 December 2018. An easy to understand summary version of this report is also available.
- Disability Classification Systems in Community-based Rehabilitation - A global review of how different countries classify the persons with disabilities and its related challenges in having comparable CBR data - Disability,CBR and Inclusive Development (DCID) journal, pp 106-123, December 2016
- Life-stories of persons with intellectual disabilities in Mandya district, India, Research paper, Knowledge Management for Development journal (KM4D), 11(1):8-24, September 2016
- Persons with Disabilities on a River Island in Brahmaputra river, Morigaon district (Assam, India), A brief report, Mobility India and Centre for North-East Studies, Guwahati, Assam, India, 2016
- Disabilities and Rehabilitation in the North-East of India, Dr Sunil Deepak, February 2016, Working Papers, Mobility India North-East, Guwahati, Assam, India
- Disabilities and Rehabilitation in Nagaland, Dr Sunil Deepak, February 2016, Working Papers, Mobility India North-East, Guwahati, Assam, India
- Disabilities and Rehabilitation in Sikkim, Dr Sunil Deepak, February 2016, Working Papers, Mobility India North-East, Guwahati, Assam, India
- Impact of Community-based Rehabilitation on persons with different disabilities, Research paper by Deepak S., Biggeri M., Mauro V., Kumar J. & Griffo G., DCID journal, 2013/02
- CBR, health and rehabilitation, Review paper by Deepak S. and Pupulin E., Disability and International Development journal, 2013/02
- Community-based Rehabilitation (CBR) Guidelines and Promoting Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in International Development Cooperation, MAKING DEVELOPMENT INCLUSIVE, Working Paper - Article 32 of UN CRPD and CBR Guidelines, by Dr Sunil Deepak, 2012
- Community-Based Rehabilitation and Persons with intellectual disabilities, Report of an international Workshop, by Dr Sunil Deepak, First World CBR Congress, Agra, India, 2012
- Supporting Social Relationships, Sexuality and Reproductive Rights of Persons with Disabilities through CBR, Report of an international Workshop, by Dr Sunil Deepak, First World CBR Congress, Agra, India, 2012
- Violence and Abuse Towards Persons with Disabilities, Report of an international Workshop, by Dr Sunil Deepak, First World CBR Congress, Agra, India, 2012
- Impact of CBR - Community-based Rehabilitation Programme in Mandya District, Karnataka, India - book by M. Biggeri, S. Deepak, V. Mauro, J. F. Trani, et al, published by AIFO, Bologna, Italy, 2012 (Book, 6 MB)
- CBR Matrix and Perceived Training Needs of CBR workers, Research paper by S. Deepak, J. Kumar, F. Ortali and E. Pupulin, Disability CBR and Inclusive Development Journal (DCID), 2011/01
- A Community Assessment of Poverty and Disability in Specific Rural Population Groups in Nepal, by Research paper by S. Shrestha, N. K. Shrestha and S. Deepak, Asia Pacific Disability & Rehabilitation Journal (APDRJ), Vol 20, N 1, 2009
- An inter-country study of expectations, roles, attitudes and behaviours of community-based rehabilitation volunteers, Research paper by Sharma M. and Deepak S., APDRJ, 2003
- A case study of the community-based rehabilitation programme in Mongolia, Sharma M. and S. Deepak, Asia Pacific Disability & Rehabilitation Journal (APDRJ), Bangalore, India, Issue 2002/01
- Man, Woman or Disabled - Barriers to the expression of sexuality - thesis for a Masters degree from Leeds University, UK based on an emancipatory research with a group of disabled persons from Italy, 2002
Emancipatory Research
- Summary report of Emancipatory Disability Research in Mongolia (Dec. 2021) - conducted as a part of Democracy and Human Rights project co-funded by European Union
- Summary report of Emancipatory Disability Research in Liberia (Dec. 2021) - conducted as a part of Disability and Start-Up (DASU) project co-funded by Italian Agency of International Cooperation
- Final Report of a 18 months long Community-Based Emancipatory Disability Research (CB-EDR) in Mongolia, carried out in 2018-19 (Feb. 2020 version).
- Conference Paper - Challenges of Emancipatory Research: Challenges to implementation of community-based emancipatory disability research (EDR) initiatives in the context of developing countries based on experiences from 6 countries - a conference paper (2019)
- Life-stories of persons with intellectual disabilities in Mandya district, India, Research paper, Knowledge Management for Development journal (KM4D), 11(1):8-24, September 2016
- Barriers Perceived by Women with Disabilities in Gaza Palestine, by Research paper by S. Deepak, I. J. A. Abu Lehya, W. N. Mdoukh & A. Lostia, in Disability & International Development, Germany, 2014/02
- Violence against Persons with Disabilities in Bidar District, India, Research paper by Sunil Deepak, Jayanth Kumar, Bapu Santhosh, et al in Disability CBR and Inclusive Development Journal (DCID), Vol 25, 2014/02
- Violence Against Persons With Disabilities - Report of An Emancipatory Research in Bidar district (Karnataka, India), Report by Dr Sunil Deepak, AIFO, Bologna, Italy, 2013
- Promoting Empowerment: Emancipatory Research in Community-Based Rehabilitation Programmes - A Guide for CBR Programme Managers, book by Dr Sunil Deepak, Published by AIFO, Bologna, Italy, 2012 - Also available in French version and in Italian version.
- Emancipatory research on impact of CBR: Voices of children with disabilities, Research paper by Deepak S., Kumar J., Ramasamy P., Griffo G., Disability and International Development Journal, 2011/02
- Man, Woman or Disabled - Barriers to the expression of sexuality - thesis for a Masters degree from Leeds University, UK based on an emancipatory research with a group of disabled persons from Italy, 2002
Leprosy
- Conserving the history of Leprosy in Italy - Paper presented at at “International Symposium on Hansen’s Disease History as Heritage of Humanity”, 22-24 April 2017, Setouchi city, Okayama Prefecture, Japan, organised by the Sasakawa Memorial Health Foundation (SMHF) - (2017)
- Self-care Groups of Leprosy Affected People in Mozambique, Research paper by Sunil Deepak, Paulo Estivar Hansine & Carol Braccini, in Leprosy Review (2013) 84, 283-291
- Community-Based Rehabilitation and Leprosy - Hidden Challenges, Sunil Deepak, Keynote address at session 47 of International Leprosy Congress, Brussels, Belgium, 2013
- Leprosy heritage sites in Italy, Sunil Deepak, Pre-Congress Workshop: Leprosy Heritage Sites, International Leprosy Congress, Brussels, Belgium, 2013
- Leprosy Mailing List - Editorial in Leprosy Review, UK by Sunil Deepak, Ben Naafs, Salvatore Noto and Peteram Schreuder, in Leprosy Review, Lepr Rev (2012) 83, 331–334
- A multi-centre study on quality of routine data collection on relapses, by Sunil Deepak and Giovanni Gazzoli, in Leprosy Review, Lepr Rev (2012) 83, 340–343
- 53rd World Leprosy day, Message of the ILEP President , by Dr Sunil Deepak, 29 January 2006
- Answering the rehabilitation needs of leprosy-affected persons in integrated setting through primary health care services and community-based rehabilitation, by Sunil Deepak, Indian Journal of Leprosy, Apr-Jun 2003, 75(2):127-42
- Global Needs and Opportunity for Rehabilitation, Sunil Deepak, Keynote address, 15th International Leprosy Congress, Beijing, P. R. of China, September 1998