HYDERABAD: The Covid-induced lockdown, which initially forced schools across the State to shut down and subsequently opt for online mode of teaching, seems to have affected the well being of all children, but more so for the differently-abled, claim experts.
According to the data availed from the State Women and Child Welfare Department, there are more than seven lakh differently-abled children in the State. In Hyderabad alone, about four lakh children are suffering from various disabilities including locomotive disorders, visual impairments, hearing impairments, and mental illnesses.
To understand the unique challenges of children with disabilities (CWDs) during the pandemic, Express spoke to several experts who explained how the pandemic excluded a large number of CWDs from education due to the lack of adequate technological resources.
Sunita Lal, a member of Ashray Akruti — a Hyderabad-based NGO which works for differently-abled children — said, “A significant number of CWDs are from marginalised sectors. The lockdown first impacted their caregivers as they faced job losses, resulting in their inability to provide special care and access to smart gadgets for e-learning.”
A recent study by the Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy also pointed out that the huge education divide for children with disabilities was due to the “non-availability of appropriate teaching-learning materials (TLM).” “Other than the unaffordability of digital devices and high speed internet, another major issue was that most children were unable to understand lessons and complete assignments, even among those who could access classes regularly. Students having visual and hearing impairments reported unique issues of accessibility of TLM,” said the report.
Another major issue was the lack of interactive sessions with teachers, peers and therapists. “These are special children. For their well-being, it is more important for them to have one-to-one sessions with their teachers and peers, but the lockdown forced them to stay locked inside,” claimed several experts.
More than 7 lakh CWDs in State
According to the data availed from the State Women and Child Welfare Department, there are more than seven lakh differently-abled children in the State. Of the total number of children with disabilities, around 83,900 are suffering from visual impairments and 71,105 from hearing impairment