BENGALURU: Even before the concept of inclusion became popular, for the past 50 years, a small school in Lingarajapuram is working towards changing the lives of disabled children from slums, and empowering them to become independent.
A woman, whose child has Global Developmental Delay, said: “I have seen a lot of improvement in my 8-year-old daughter; in her physical health and social skills. I have tried multiple organisations, but they only had therapy.”
Shradhanjali Integrated School (SIS) has a ratio of 80 per cent disabled children, and 20 per cent abled, 313 students for 2023-24. Following the state curriculum, the institution has customised its learning for the kids, at a subsidised cost. It focuses on activity-oriented learning, sports, art and craft to ensure all-round development. Earlier, the school was operational till Class 7, but from this year, Class 8 has begun, which will be followed by Classes 9 and 10 next year.
Committed to the cause the Association of People with Disability (APD), SIS has students with 11 different disabilities, including autism, hearing issues, developmental disability, down syndrome, locomotor disability, and many more. “There are 35 students who are speech and hearing-impaired. Each classroom has a translator to help them understand concepts and feel included,” SIS Principal Pannaga Babu said.
The teachers opine that in other schools, disabled students are excluded and pulled out of the classroom “to focus more on them”, but this causes more harm than good. As most children come from financially weaker sections, midday meals, books, uniforms, healthcare, rehabilitation, transportation, and adapted learning techniques are provided.
In fact, to help the children, the school has 10-12 wheelchairs in all buses to help students commute better. The institution wants the students to “see themselves as people who can contribute to society”. “To lead by example, we have several teachers who are disabled and have been contributing to the school,” the principal added.