Their parents are mostly un- |
challenge, one that gets harder with |
pointed in every school to address |
aware about the state assistance for |
every passing day. When she went to |
educational needs of such children |
them. And when they learn about it |
admit her son in some top private |
and other teachers should be trained |
and approach the authorities, they |
schools of Baramulla, she was |
in special education. |
are treated in a humiliating manner |
turned away. Her son, they argued, |
Free accessible learning mateby |
government officials; quite often |
would be laughed at by his school |
rial and electronic books and Braille |
they are told to pay bribes. Shouldn ' t |
mates. Finally, a little-known school |
system should be made available in |
we pause and reflect about those chil- |
admitted her son but her fight did not |
all state-run schools. |
|
dren and their parents and what they
grow through?
|
end.
She approached the District So-
|
Home schooling should be pro- vided to every crippled child |
The Social Welfare department, |
cial Welfare Officer, Baramulla, for |
|
|
on its part, is handicapped because it has not received additional funds to cover 30.000 pending beneficiaries since 2008.
I have seen three handicapped children die because their parents couldn ' t afford their treatment.
Seven children who can be treated through surgical intervention aren ' t because of a red-taped health department.
There are services under ICDS to ensure health care, immunisation,
growth monitoring, pre-school education, and supplementary nutrition for pregnant and nursing women, new born and adolescent girls but they lack proper implementation, as is glaringly evident from the fact that people now called Anganwari cenability tres ' Dal Centers ' because of their ignorance of other essential services under the scheme.
CASE STORY
For years now, a 32-year old mother from Baramulla has been running from pillar to post to find help for her six-year-old son who
was born without forearms. When he was born, doctors didn ' t let her see
him, fearing she might go into shock. Though she fed her, the nursgiven ing staff ensured she could not figure
|
should be made available at recognition on priority basis prosthetic forearms for her son. She was asked to fulfill certain formalities which she did though it took quite an effort. But the mother and her boy are still waiting for the prosthetic aid.
How to improve functional moshould bility of the disabled
HEALTH
Proper training in and awareness about pre-natal and post-natal care for ANM, ASHA, ICDS and
FMPHW workers as well as their proper monitoring.
Lifelong drugs for disabled patients should be provided free of cost.
Assessment of persons with disblock level
If a person has below 40 % disability, the health authorities should
take measures to reduce chances of furthermore disability.
Officials should be punished for issuing fake disability certificates.
EDUCATION
Schools run by NGOs for children with disabilities should be
|
be created and special drives
EMPLOYMENT
When posts are advertised, it should be made clear that posts No.
1, 34, 67 are reserved for persons with disabilities
Employment opportunities for employment of disabled made available.
Illiterate persons with disabili- ties should get self-employment opportunities through various trades or vocations. And departments of hand- icrafts, handloom and entrepreneur- ship development agencies should establish market-based vocational centers for such persons.
ACCESSBILITY
Special auditory and warning signals should be put up at zebra crossings
Seats should be reserved on pub- lic transport and a special bus service from district headquarters for the disabled should be started.
Flyovers and subways should be constructed at busy crossings for safe passage of persons with disabil- ities.
Footpaths should be made dis- abled-friendly
( Ambreen Bashir is a Social worker)
|
the baby was disabled. Reality |
Private institutions should en- |
|
struck the fourth day. |
sure children with disabilities are |
|
“ I still remember, when I saw |
admitted on open merit basis and in |
|
the boy, I shouted and cried in pain. I |
reservation quotas. |
|
got unconscious,” she recalls.“ But I |
Such children should be given |
|
reconciled and said to myself that I |
travel allowance as guaranteed by |
|
am up for a huge test and I made a |
SSA scheme. And SSA should be |
|
personal resolution that I will bring |
implemented in letter and spirit to |
|
up my child like a normal boy.” |
ensure 100 % literacy among them. |
|
It has turned out to be a difficult |
Special educators should be ap- |