A school where disability becomes super-ability

  • | Sunday | 23rd April, 2017

We want to convert this school as a resource centre to train teachers from other schools in educating kids with special needs. Veena's daughter was the first student with hearing and speech disability to join SIS. Started by N S Hema from the APD, the school offers inclusive education, admitting children with no disability as well.Operating till class 7 on the state board curriculum, students here are encouraged to join mainstream schools to ensure that the concept of inclusive education bears fruits beyond the campus.Promoting inclusive education has done wonders for students and alumni of the school. "I vividly remember teachers at SIS insisting that I wear my calipers though I didn't like them. We work with parents to ensure students go to mainstream schools and consult teachers on the challenges they face.

BENGALURU: It's noon and children are eagerly waiting to walk outside their classrooms. As their platter is getting prepared, students of Shradhanjali Integrated School (SIS) walk out hand in hand -- some with calipers, some on wheelchairs and others with no support at all-- for another fun-filled meal.The 40-year-old SIS is where most physically challenged children from slums in Lingarajapuram and surrounding areas study. Run under the aegis of the Association of People with Disability (APD), 80% of the seats are filled with children suffering from hearing and speech impairment, cerebral palsy, polio and other disabilities. The aim is to rehabilitate them at a younger age so that their disabilities don't come in the way while growing up. Started by N S Hema from the APD, the school offers inclusive education, admitting children with no disability as well.Operating till class 7 on the state board curriculum, students here are encouraged to join mainstream schools to ensure that the concept of inclusive education bears fruits beyond the campus.Promoting inclusive education has done wonders for students and alumni of the school. Sayyed Zakir , who was afflicted by polio in both legs, studied at SIS from 1982 to 1990. Son of a KSRTC conductor, Zakir has worked with top IT and petroleum companies and travels across the world with his wife and daughter. "I vividly remember teachers at SIS insisting that I wear my calipers though I didn't like them. But that helped me become an independent person that I am today," Zakir recalled.Veena's life turned upside down when her three-year-old daughter lost her ability to hear after a bout of jaundice. In a year, she lost her speaking ability too and confined herself to isolation most time. Veena's daughter was the first student with hearing and speech disability to join SIS."I spent all my days here watching whatever the teachers would teach my daughter; I had to repeat them at home. The training that I got was so extensive that I was also offered to teach more students with hearing and speech disability at SIS," Veena said.The school has now begun a campaign on crowdfunding platform - Fuel a Dream to raise Rs 11.2 lakh to support the 200-odd children studying there currently. "The cost of educating one child is Rs 5,000 per month. It includes teaching, transportation, therapy aids and equipment and mid-day meals," said Atul Vora , financial consultant, APD.The APD has launched an early intervention programme where babies are screened during vaccination drives for any disability. If the children are found suffering from any disability, parents are encouraged to bring them to the centre.Disability should become a priorityIt is important to look at how education and rehabilitation can work together in an inclusive way. We, as a society, are yet to accept the fact that disabled children need not be isolated to study separately in special schools. We want to convert this school as a resource centre to train teachers from other schools in educating kids with special needs. We work with parents to ensure students go to mainstream schools and consult teachers on the challenges they face. Disability should become a priority for the worldChristy Abraham, CEO, APDIn the past 20 years that I have been here, I've noticed a growth in reaching out to more people with disabilities, mostly in rural areas. The association has helped over 2,800 children in the age group of 6-14 years through our institutional, district and support organizations. Having covered about 60% of Karnataka, we aim to move forward by being more of catalysts, enabling others like NGOs, government and other partners to extend their outreach on-field as wellK N Gopinath, executive director, operations

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