EDUCATION AND REHABILITATION OF DISPLACED PERSONS
The Union Government have, in recent years, been paying increasing attention to the education, training and rehabilitation of the handicapped. In this sector, during the third Plan period, emphasis is being laid specially on the training and employment of the handicapped and on the training of the teachers.
2. National Centre for the Blind, Dehra Dun.-The Ministry decided to establish about 13 years ago a comprehensive National Centre for the Blind at Dehra Dun to provide integrated services for the blind. It can now be said that the centre, as visualised then, has come into being, functioning as it is now, with the following units :
(1) Model School for Blind Children
(2) Training Centre for the Adult Blind
(3) Sheltered Workshop
(4) Workshop for the Manufacture of Braille Appliances
(5) Central Braille Press
(6) National Library for the Blind
A brief review of the activities of the above units is given in the paragraphs that follow.
2.2. Model School for Blind Children : Established in January, 1959, this school, in course of time, is expected to become a full- fledged secondary school for blind boys and girls. At present it imparts education up to the 8th class and has 64 children on its rolls. During the year, the number of children rose from 54 to 64, and the 8th class was added. During the coming year, this number is expected to go up to 75 and the 9th class will be added.
2.3. Training Centre for the Adult Blind : This centre was established in January, 1950. It was originally intended to train blinded ex-servicemen and was known as St. Dunstan's Hostel for the Indian War-blinded. It was taken over by the Ministry of Education on 1st January, 1950 and renamed Training. Centre for the Adult Blind. It provides accommodation for 150 adult blind men who are trained in cottage industries, light engineering, braille and music. The women's section was added to the centre in September 1957. This section has accommodation for 35 trainees who are trained in similar subjects. During the year, a detailed syllabus for training the blind in light engineering was drawn up under the guidance of an expert provided by the International Labour Organisation. Mr. Ellis Turner. The first course in light engineering was completed. Out of 5 men-trainees who were trained, 4 were placed by the Special Employment Exchange for the Physically Handicapped in Delhi.
63
64
2.4. Sheltered Workshop : The workshop employs 9 blind weavers and chair caners who are paid on piece-rate basis. They are provided free residential accommodation, a cook and elementary medical aid. During the year, the workshop continued to function satisfactorily. Next year, it is proposed to develop the workshop by introducing engineering occupations. As a first step in this direction, it is proposed to undertake a survey of some industrial areas in the country to determine the types of trades that should be introduced in the sheltered workshop.
2.5. Workshop for the Manufacture of Braille Appliances : Established in 1954, this workshop manufactures simple appliances needed for the education of the blind. During the first 9 months of the year under review, it produced appliances as the following : (1) Braille Frames (Large)-560; (2) Braille Frames (Small)-535; : (3) Pocket Frames-100; and (4) Arithmetic Frames--400. The main development during the year has been that some additional machines were received through the UNICEF. Sanction has also been accorded for the purchase of machinery worth about Rs. 45,000 in order to mechanise the various processes. This machinery is being purchased on the advice of the I.L.O. Expert. It is hoped that in the year to come, the rate of production will be much faster,
2.6. Central Braille Press : Established in April, 1951, the Central Braille Press publishes braille literature in Indian languages. During the year under review, it has so far published 13 new titles.
2.7. National Library for the Blind : The National Library for the Blind was established towards the end of the last financial year. This library circulates braille literature to blind teachers throughout the country free of charge. During the first 9 months of the current year, the membership of the library rose to 258. UNICEF is providing books worth about 7,000 dollars to the library. The first consignment of the books is expected very shortly.
3. Training Centre for the Adult Blind in the South.-On the lines of the Training Centre for the Adult Blind, Dehra Dun, proposals are afoot to establish a second Training Centre in the South under the Third Plan.
4. Integrated Education of the Blind.-Education of blind children in special residential schools is expensive and has many social and psychological disadvantages. Efforts in the country during the past 75 years, have resulted in bringing only about 4500 blind children in the existing 109 schools. This represents a mere 1 per cent of the blind population of school-going age. Experience has, however, shown that blind children can, with great advantage, be, taught in ordinary schools. A scheme for brining; 9000 blind children in school during the next financial year has been drawn up in consultation with the representatives of the American Foundation for Overseas Blind and the Royal Commonwealth Society for the Blind, London. These two organisations are expected to share half the cost of the scheme which is expected to incur an expenditure of approximately Rs. 63 lakh during a 7-year period.
5. Training Centre for the Adult Deaf, Hyderabad.-Establised in September, 1962, this Centre imparts training to 30 deaf boys between 16 and 25 years of age in three engineering occupations, namely, fitting, wiremanship and sheet-metal work. During the period under review, it is proposed to increase the number of trainees from 30 to 60 and introduce training in three
65
additional trades, viz., carpentry, tailoring and gas-welding, while during the following year, it is proposed to raise the number of trainees to about 90 and to introduce two or three additional trades. It is also proposed that a similar centre with about 50 trainees should be set up in Northern India.
6. School for Mentally Deficient Children.-Proposals are afoot to set up during the current financial year a school for mentally deficient children in Delhi. The School will initially have facilities for about 50 children. It will be a residential institution but will also be open to day-scholars. Children whose I.Q. ranges between about 50 and 75 are, intended to be admitted into the school. During the next yew, it is proposed to set up another such school in the South.
7. Central Rehabilitation Centre for the Orthopaedically Handicapped.At present there is no institution in the country to impart vocational training to the civilian adult orthopaedically handicapped. The need for such an institution is, however, considerable; more so, because it can serve some of the persons disabled during the emergency. Accordingly, it is proposed to set up such an institution in the precincts of the Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi, which has agreed to provide the needed space. The main advantage of the situation will be that while the Hospital will provide the necessary medical services, the proposed centre will impart vocational training. Placement will be undertaken by the special employment exchanges for the physically handicapped, thus providing a complete rehabilitation service.
8. Training of Teachers of the Handicapped.-The first course for training primary academic teachers of the blind was started in Bombay. It is expected to start the second such course in Delhi on 30th January, 1964. Four teachers working in schools for the blind and the deaf have been awarded short-time visiting scholarships to observe the work of the institutions of the blind and the deaf in other parts of the country. Ten craft instructors working in schools for the handicapped have been awarded stipends to study crafts in training institutions run by the All India Handicrafts Board.
8.2. During the next financial year, it is proposed to start another teacher training course at Dehra Dun. The scheme of fellowships to teachers and workers for the handicapped and the training of craft instructors will be continued. A new feature of the next year's programme is to assist a few good teachers and workers for the handicapped to receive training abroad. In this regard it is proposed to defray passage cost if scholarships are made available by foreign organisations. The Royal Commonwealth Society for the Blind, London has already offered some scholarships for workers in the field of the rehabilitation of the blind and in the prevention of blindness.
9. Scholarships for the Physically Handicapped.-Under this scheme, scholarships are awarded to three categories of physically handicapped persons, i.e. the blind, the deaf and the orthopaedically handicapped. Blind and deaf students are given scholarships for higher education above the matriculation stage or for technical or professional training. In the case of the orthopaedically handicapped, other conditions being the same, scholarships can be awarded for the high school stage also. During the year, 513 fresh awards were made as below :
(i) The Blind 171
(ii) The Deaf 117
(iii) The Orthopaedically Handicapped 225
66
10. Special Employment Exchanges for the Physically Handicapped.Under this scheme, were set up special employment exchanges for the physically handicapped. These make special efforts to place trained blind, deaf and orthopaedically handicapped persons in the public and private sectors. With 4 new exchanges set up during the year, such special exchanges are now functioning in Bombay, Delhi, Madras, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Calcutta, Ahmedabad and Chandigarh. An additional exchange is proposed to be set up during the year under review at Kanpur, while three more exchanges are likely to be set up during the next year. The object is to set up one special exchange in each State by the end of the third Plan period. During the first 9 months of the current year the special exchanges placed 310 persons in jobs.
11. Assistance to Voluntary Organisations for the Handicapped.- Under this scheme, grants are given to organisations for the handicapped for developmental activities up to 75 per cent of the recurring and non-recurring expenditure on approved schemes, subject to a limit of Rs. 1,00,000 on building grants. It is proposed, however, to reduce the ceiling on building grants to a reasonable figure. During the first 9 months of the current year, grants amounting to Rs. 2,65,000 have been paid. A pamphlet indicating now grants paid in the previous years have benefited the handicapped, is under preparation. Information for this purpose is being collected from the recipient institutions.
12. Meetings of the Committees on the Rehabilitation of the Handicapped and Social Welfare.-During the current financial year, a Working Group on Social Welfare was appointed to prepare schemes for inclusion in the fourth Plan. The Working Group has met twice. It has appointed 6 sub-groups each of which has met once or twice. The interim report of the Working Group is expected to be finalised by the end of February, 1964 .
13. Financial Provisions.-The following statement indicates the figures of financial provisions made for the schemes narrated in the above paragraphs :
Provision for 1963-64 Provision
Sl. Scheme for 1964-65
No.
Original Revised
1 2 3 4 5
Rs. Rs. Rs.
1 Model School for Blind
Children, Debra Dun 1,32,900 99,000 1,42,100
2 Training Centre for the
Adult Blind, Dehra Dun 3,21,500 3,18,200 4,30,200
3 Sheltered Workshop for
the Blind, Dehra Dun 54,400 34,500 50,000
4 Workshop for the Manufacture
of Braille Appliances, Dehra
Dun 20,000 20,000 60,000
5 Central Braille Press, Dehra Dun 70,500 69,100 88,700
6 National Library for the Blind,
Debra Dun 12,000 12,000 42,000
7 Training Centre for the Adult
Blind in the South 1,02,000
(Plan)
8 Integrated Education for the
Blind 1,000
(Plan)
9 Training Centre for the Adult
Deaf, Hyderabad 1,48,000 1,38,000 2,23,900
(Plan)
67
1 2 3 4 5
Rs. Rs. Rs.
10 Training Centre for the
Adult Deaf in the North - - 91,000
(Plan)
11 School for the Mentally
Deficient Children,Delhi - - 88,000
(Plan)
12 School for the Mentally
Deficient Children in the
South - - 84,000
(Plan)
13 Central Rehabilitation Centre
for the Orthopaedically Handicapped,
New Delhi 1,00,000
(Plan)
14 Training of Teachers for the
Physically Handicapped 20,000 20,000 1,00,000
(Plan)
15 Passage of Indian Scholars for
Studies Abroad 20,000
(Plan)
16 Scholarships for the Blind 2,11,000 2,11,000 3,47,000
17 Scholarships for the Deaf 1,15,000 1,05,000 3,00,200
18 Scholarships for the
Orthopaedically Handicapped 2,86,700 2,86,700 6,59,300
19 Employment Organisation for the
Handicapped 36,000 36,000 36,000
Non-Plan
Plan 45,000 45,000 1,54,000
20 Assistance to Voluntary
Organisations for the
Handicapped 5,00,000 3,00,000 4,00,000
Plan)
21 Meetings of Committees on the
Education of the Handicapped
and Social Welfare 5,000 17,000 10,000
(Plan)
22 Random Sample Survey of the
Handicapped - - 10,000
(Plan)