“Sustaining Pre-School and Vocational Training Centres for PwDs” supported by Asha for Education, USA and Asian People’s Disability Alliance (APDA), UK

At present there are a total of 30 people receiving capacity building training at the two Centres of CAN. Besides this 16 children from the Dakshinpuri slum are attending the pre-primary school, of which 8 are disabled. Asha is also providing financial support to the trainees. Of the identified disabled children, some have been admitted to special schools and two are receiving training for improving body coordination and speech therapy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To understand the gaps in the existing system of education for the blind and provide ways of facilitating inclusiveness and mainstreaming in education in India, the study used the method of participatory as well as traditional methods of social research. The main findings and its analysis have been discussed in detail in the final report submitted to the funding agency, with a strong hope for its implementation to make a positive and definitive change in the education of the blind and low vision children.

CAN’s study showed a general lack of awareness amongst teachers about the existing and newly developed aids and technology, both in remote as well as urban areas. However, this general lack of awareness about options and available facilities was also found in the target group of the study and their families. The response to the situation lies in the proper training of teachers while motivating them along-with the students and their families.

Besides the gaps in information, the study revealed the need to create and deploy standardised teaching learning devices with proper guidelines for their use so that their use is easy and simple. It was also found in the study that in many places where devices are available teachers do not know their proper use and therefore they fall short of their purpose. However training and technology are only part of the response required, a lot can be gained from coordinated efforts like group study, collaborative activities like joint lab work where a non-sighted student is paired with a sighted student, support in the form of extra-time, field visits, verbalisation of lessons in class especially in integrated set-ups, provision of computers or even better laptops for study in general and writers during exams are useful modes of achieving inclusion.

Furthermore, the curriculum and process of traditional classroom teaching must be adapted for blind and low vision students prudently. Inclusion of students with disabilities in integrated schools must not be a source of showcasing to the government for benefits but with an intention to mainstream. The school administration and teaching faculty need to understand the need and interest of blind and low vision children. For this a great source of support would be the employment of itinerant teachers in integrated set-ups for providing assistance to the regular teachers. Also a need for career counseling was evenly felt to help these students make informed choices.

We must not stop these students from taking up a higher level of education in maths and science because of perceived obstacles as that would result in complacency in the student to expect and accept the easy way out. The answer lies in motivation, early career counselling and mobility training where general knowledge, awareness of a world beyond one’s own, interaction with sighted individuals is necessary for a holistic grooming towards rehabilitation in mainstream society. In today’s world there are many examples of blind people having established themselves in maths and science fields thus reinforcing the hypothesis of the project that theses subjects can and ought to be taught to students with blindness and low vision.

“SAVERA - Poorest Areas Civil Society PACS programme” (sponsored by DfID, UK)

CAN’s SAVERA Project focused on Capacity Building and Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in 36 villages of Thikri Block of Badwani District in MP.  Asha Gram Trust situated in Badwani was CAN’s partner in this projects. CAN in its earlier project EK JUT had highlighted the problems of PWDs in Badwani District. Through the present project an attempt was made to address the problems of inclusion, awareness and empowernment.The results achieved and the impact made on the lives of the PwDs in this region was highly appreciated by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. Through this project the employment schemes of the Government were greatly popularised.

CAN used the medium of advocacy on issues related to the rights of PWDs, created networks with agencies and individuals, empowered women by developing their skills and sensitised society regarding disability issues, produced booklets on various aspects of the activities, etc. to facilitate the inclusion of disabled people in mainstream society. The booklets produced under this project are available for distribution through the CAN office.

SAVERA programme included training workshops for field workers, awareness and sensitisation camps in the villages, formation of community based groups, individual intervention programmes, advocacy with community and local government, needs assessment studies, vocational training workshops for PWDs.

TThe SAVERA project was a pilot project of its kind aimed at achieving a wholesome awareness of disability and the provisions, benefits and remedies in the law. As the project yielded a positive response, CAN hopes to replicate this in other areas too .

“Evaluation Study of Supported Guardianship Scheme” for the National Trust for the Welfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation & Multiple Disabilities, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment

CAN has recently completed a report based on fieldwork carried out to evaluate National Trust’s “Supported Guardianship Scheme”. This scheme has been running as a pilot project in 36 districts in the country. CAN’s Field Investigators went to 4 districts of Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal and Punjab to interview the stakeholders and beneficiaries, to evaluate the impact of the scheme, identify shortfalls if any and recommend measures to make the scheme more effective.

The final Report of the project was submitted to the National Trust in October 2007.

“Disability Workshop” in Orcha in September 2007:

A team of CAN held a three day workshop in Orcha on disability with the objective of imparting knowledge about the types and causes of disability, the prejudices and attitudes associated with disability, the methods of prevention and cure and the provisions, benefits and schemes under the law for the Disabled. The target audience of this Workshop was PACS partners.

“Action Learning project on problems faced by blind, partially blind and low vision children of middle school in learning science, mathematics and associated subjects ” catalysed and supported by the Rashtriya Vigyan Evam Prodyogiki Sanchar Parishad, Department of Science and Technology, GOI.

The project dwelt into the aspects, prospects and realities of the study of Science, Mathematics, Computers and Geography for children with blindness and low vision in grades 6th to 8th in school. The study highlighted that for India’s commitment to provide for inclusive education to become a reality the Blind students must have an equal choice of career and growth in science and maths streams, like all others.

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