Walking through the corridors of Vidya Sagar, every mural, every artwork, every classroom, and every joyful voice stood as a testament to the school’s mission — to create an inclusive space where every child can dream, learn, and thrive. The students are writing stories of success, shaping futures with knowledge, creativity, and confidence. With several stalls selling jewellery and clothes, photos of awards and accomplishments proudly projected, parai, puppet show, and dancing and singing, Vidya Sagar celebrated its 40 years of service and support to people with disabilities on Saturday. Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, MP, Revathi, actress, and Viswanathan Anand, chess Grandmaster, attended the celebrations.
“My son was born with multiple disabilities and it was difficult to learn what to do for him. But, once I learned that, I realised that there are not many pathways where a parent can travel when you have a child with a disability,” says Poonam Natarajan, founder. Hence, to provide service and support to the child and their families, the school was established.
“To provide service wherever it is needed is the mission,” says Kalpana Rao, principal, Center for Special Education, Vidya Sagar. “After 40 years, our mission now is to go one step ahead. We are now focussing on setting up a research department and work towards community living.” The first step towards this second phase is reviewing all training — including parent training curriculum and sibling workshops on how to bring families together. The research department will bring out 11 manuals based on the community interaction for the staff and trainers.
In this phase, the school aims to become a centre for learning and dissemination of knowledge, which has been accumulated over the past four decades. “The other focus is to look at the adult community — people with disabilities, living in the community. The biggest worry parents have is what happens to their children after they are gone. Normally, a child with a disability is put into an institution, which is like being hospitalised. We want to find a better solution to help them live in the community,” shares Shankaran Nayar, the chairperson of the school.
One answer to this challenge that the school is looking at is to start a circle of support. “Wherever our students reside, in that locality, we are trying to form a friends group. At school, they have their peers as friends, but beyond that is what we are looking at. We have identified 24 students and are forming circles in their neighbourhood, sensitising the group,” adds the principal.
These initiatives and interactions help the students to expand their social connections, confidence, and independence, empowering them to navigate life beyond the school and write stories of success. “We want the kids to be independent in their thoughts, decisions and communication. And we are seeing students do that when they get placed as teachers in schools, in media, and start their own businesses, when they question us about trips and visits,” mentions Kalpana.
She adds that there is a lot to do in terms of breaking myths, accessibility, opportunities offered, and inclusion becoming a core foundation in society. “Chennai is comparatively a better city to live in in terms of accessibility. Now, we have low-floor buses, ramps at beaches, and voting booths. But there is still a long way to go and lots to do,” she concludes.