Hello All, Persons with disabilities should be educated with abled body students through inclusive education. But Inclusive education is not successful in many places in the country. Especially in rural India. Hence There is still need of special Education Schools where Children with disabilities are being taught general life skills and assistive technologies to make them independent in further schooling in integrated education.
There could be several reasons of failuare of inclusive education: 1. Government is not appointing disability coordinators in schools, colleges and universities on permanent basis who will ensure accessibility of all the programs, services and activities of the institutions. Providing grants for equipments and procurement of assistive technologies will not solve the issue of inaccessible environment. There should be train human resource who can sensitize faculties, staffs, researchers and students about special need of individuals with disabilities and ensure inclusion of persons with disabilities in the institution. Government must provide post or salary grants to all the academic institutions for appointment of disability coordinator to make inclusive education successful. 2. Lack of resource centre for persons with disabilities in Institutions: Only handful of institutes have resource centre for persons with disabilities. Government should make resource centre compulsory to all the organizations where number of individuals with disabilities is more. Government should set up such resource centres in remote areas where inclusion is very less. 3. Government is not making certification of Inclusive education program compulsory to all the teachers: All the teachers of schools and colleges should under go A shourt program on inclusive education (3 to 6 days duration) that will cover inclusive education concept, types of disabilities, how different disabilities interact with the environment, what special assistance specific disabilities require, which assistive technologies are available to them, What type of accessible environment required to them, Information about accessibility compliance of built infrastructure, web services, course content and course delivery mechanism, How to use assistive technologies, How to teach inclusive class, How persons with disabilities read and write, How do they appear for exam, What type of job placement is suitable to them etc. 4. Incomplete schemes: The schemes for promotion of inclusive education are seems to be incomplete that covers only one or two componants of inclusive education. The government should start a scheme of “model accessible institution” that will cover appointment of disability coordinator, Setting up resource centre for persons with disabilities, Making academic environment accessible that will include accessibility of built infrastructure, Web services, Accessible course content and accessible course delivery mechanism and accessible teaching. 5. Inclusive education is not part of syllabus of several institutions: Syllabus of various formal courses like B.Ed, M.Ed, Ma (Education, BA and MA sociology, MSW lack proper information about inclusion of persons with disabilities in several institutions. BCA, MCA, B.Sc., M.Sc., Be/B.Tech, Me/M.Tech., B.Arch, M.Arch, like courses lack accessibility related topics. Accessibility of various services and universal designing should be compulsory part of syllabus of all the academic institutions. However some institutions has made compulsory part of their syllabi. Some institutions are teaching programs like Special B.Ed., Special M.Ed. with the reference of specific disabilities. That will be of no use in inclusive education. Instead of such courses, B.Ed. inclusive education and M.Ed.,inclusive education should be introduced. Section 16 and 17 of RPD act has made mandatory to all the academic institution to provide inclusive education and sensitize abled body students about accessibility and inclusion. Courts should consider these things while giving such orders about persons with disabilities. Regards On 12/1/17, Vaishnavi Jayakumar <[email protected]> wrote: > Should the disabled go to separate schools or should all schools have > education about disabilities? > *scroll.in*/pulse/859639/should-the-disabled-go-to-separate- > schools-or-should-all-schools-have-education-about-disabilities > <https://scroll.in/pulse/859639/should-the-disabled-go-to-separate-schools-or-should-all-schools-have-education-about-disabilities> > Nipun Malhotra > > Over the last month, courts in India have made major observations related > to disability and education. One, by the Supreme Court, has disappointed > persons with disabilities in its understanding that this group should be > further isolated from mainstream society. But another observation by the > Madras High Court gave the disabled sector reason to celebrate by noting > that mainstream society should be more perceptive and responsive to persons > with disabilities. > > The Supreme Court’s observation in a public interest litigation filed > through Advocate Prashant Shukla claiming lack of sufficient special > education teachers in Uttar Pradesh could have far reaching consequences. > The court said, “We are of the prima facie view that the children with > special needs have to be imparted education not only by special teachers > but there have to be special schools for them.” It added, “It is impossible > to think that the children who are disabled or suffer from any kind of > disability or who are mentally challenged can be included in the mainstream > schools for getting an education.” > > I do feel that this observation got the spirit of the PIL completely wrong. > The solution to a lack of special education teachers is more training and > colleges to train special education teachers. > > As someone with a disability who went to a normal school, I was really > saddened to learn that the Supreme Court intended to close doors to a > normal life for persons with disabilities. The Supreme Court’s observation > is wrong on three levels – legally, for the disabled and for society. > > The recently enacted Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 says, > “The appropriate government and the local authorities shall endeavour that > all educational institutions funded or recognised by them provide inclusive > education to children with disabilities”. > > In addition, India is a signatory to the United Nations Convention for the > Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Article 24 of the convention is > dedicated to inclusive education. “States parties recognise the right of > persons with disabilities to education,” it says. “With a view to realising > this right without discrimination and on the basis of equal opportunity, > states parties shall ensure an inclusive education system at all levels and > lifelong learning.” > > Besides this, India’s Right to Education Act states that 25% of seats in > private schools should be reserved for poor and disadvantaged groups. > Needless to say, persons with disabilities are among the disadvantageous > groups. > > Persons with disabilities need to be included in the mainstream. After all, > they need to go to college, earn degrees, learn skills and eventually > acquire jobs. They cannot be protected forever, so why not let them > flourish as part of the mainstream? > Teaching everyone about disability > > Interestingly, the other recent judicial observation on disability and > education by the Madras High Court has given the disability sector much > reason for cheer. The court observed that the “state needs to have > disability education so that mainstream society becomes more sensitive > towards people with disabilities.” It also said that “Educating others on > people with disabilities leads to tolerance, empathy, and respect.” > > Let us also recognise that interactions with persons with disabilities have > led to major technological breakthroughs that are being used by all able > bodied people today. Text messaging was originally created for the deaf and > voice overs on mobile phones were originally created to help the blind. > Input from people with disabilities clearly encourages innovation and is > yet another reason not to put this group in a silo separate from the > mainstream. > > The observations of the two courts represent two world views about persons > with disabilities between which we need to choose. One is a belief in > homogenisation that does not respect uniqueness of individuals as well as > in the segregation of persons with disabilities. The other is an inclusive > approach beneficial to disabled persons and others. > > A Supreme Court observation, when it is translated into a judgement, > becomes case law and sets the precedent. I do hope that the court reverses > this observation on the special education needs of the disabled while > passing the final judgement. After all, society is not homogenous and > people with disabilities in classrooms will enrich school life for children. > > *The writer, born with arthrogryposis, went to a regular school. He is an > alumnus of St Stephen’s College, Delhi School of Economics and the Indian > School of Business.* > The list has now migrated to www.accessindia.inclusivehabitat.in > > You should now post to the id: [email protected] > > > > > Search for old postings at: > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > > To unsubscribe send a message to > [email protected] > with the subject unsubscribe. > > To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please > visit the list home page at > http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in > > > Disclaimer: > 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the > person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; > > 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails > sent through this mailing list.. > -- Coordinator, Centre for Inclusive Education and Accessibility, Department of Education and Extension, Savitribai Phule Pune university, Pune 411007. PH: +912025601352 Cell: +919850123212 Website:http://www.unipune.ac.in/atbslc The list has now migrated to www.accessindia.inclusivehabitat.in You should now post to the id: [email protected] Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ To unsubscribe send a message to [email protected] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in Disclaimer: 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails sent through this mailing list..
