Ideas to make schools more inclusive

It doesn’t have to be difficult to make our places of study an easier place for the differently-abled

Class in progress at a school for the hearing impaired in Chennai


Social and political recognition of differently-abled people is the need of the hour. If they not accepted by their parents, how can we expect the society to do so?

In the view that most of our differently-abled persons are beggars, one question arises: who is responsible for their condition?

 In my opinion, the mindset of people towards the disabled should change. Once they accept us socially, they will realise that we are assets, not a liability. Education played significant role in the inclusive development of our community, so first, the government should provide accessible facilities in school for disabled, like ramps, slopes and sliders for movement.

Secondly, teachers should give their full support. As an orthopaedically-challenged and wheelchair-dependent person, I say one thing on behalf of our community: we need support, not sympathy

Chinmaya Mishra,

Bhawanipatna, Odisha

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A student-friendly, trained, differently-abled person can be appointed to have a regular interaction with differently-abled students, coordinate them with normal students and to have a better understanding of their problems, so that the same can be taken up to the management and get solved.

Thendral K.,

Class VIII, Nava Bharath International School, Annur

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One suggestion which can make school accessible is — mandatory access auditing by persons with disabilities. Those schools which fail to do so should be penalised or their grant should be stopped for a certain period.

However, a very crucial point in these access audits is that it should be carried out by a team comprising not only subject experts but also experiential experts which means the persons with disabilities. Disability itself is so diverse so each access audit should have a person from every kind of disability like with mobility, visual and hearing impairment. Inclusion will not happen till we involve persons with disabilities.

Dr Satendra Singh, 

Assistant Professor of Physiology, Delhi

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I was one of the participants for the National Youth Convention organised by the National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP). I am totally blind. My primary recommendation would be that each school should have a disability advisory group (monitored by HRD Ministry at various levels), and the policy of that school towards disability needs mention in their prospectus followed by annual report. When there is a directive to this effect by HRD Ministry, as a starting point they will have some sort of program to sensitise the schools.

By doing so:

A. The parents of someone with special needs can approach the group from time to time with their problems, and educational counselling can be done so that when they move for higher education, they know the career options, problems and solutions, which will enable them to take an informed decision.

B. They will get a flavour of the problems faced by us. For example, there is a lack of educational material in an accessible format for the visually impaired.

C. As there is greater participation, there is scope for greater sensitisation of schools. In order to get that going, we can liaise with HRD Ministry to have short training courses.

At some point of time, we can hope that schools begin competing with other to be the best for people with disabilities. At least that will bring some change in terms of infrastructure, and facilities which are more universally usable by all.

Amar Jain,

Corporate lawyer

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Special coaching classes by specialised teachers particularly for differently-abled children would be a great idea to encourage many more differently-abled children to join my school. Using different strategies to teach them will make the learning process interesting for these children who really have the potential to change the fate of the country. Testing them in a way best suited to them (not just with question papers and answer sheets) will also lead to many children getting admitted in my school.

PL.Sriram,

Class XI, Cheran MHSS, Karur, Tamil Nadu

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The behaviour of teachers has been the major cause of students getting demoralised.

Assistive devices, making websites accessible, and making teachers, principals and higher authorities aware of the acts, rights and facilities of differently-abled people is important.

Rajiv Chandra Saha,

St. Xavier's College,Kolkata,

***

Schools must provide them with qualified interpreters, assistive listening devices, or other auxiliary aids, to people with hearing disabilities when necessary to ensure effective communication.

Sachin Singh

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Schools with more than one floor must provide elevators/escalators instead of staircases for physically challenged persons. There should be assistants ready to help those who need it. Schools and society must encourage them. Teachers must not be partial.

B.Gokulnath,

Class XI, Cheran MHSS, Karur

Source : The Hindu , 11th April 2014