CHAPTER X EDUCATION AND REHABILITATION OF THE HANDICAPPED
The Government of India have, in recent years, been paying in- creasing attention to the education and rehabilitation of the handi- capped. During the third Plan period special emphasis is being laid on training and employment, and on the training of teachers. Another important aim during the third Plan period in the field is to strengthen voluntary agencies.
2. Training Centre for the Adult Blind, Dehra Dun Established in January, 1950, this centre imparts vocational training to 150 adult blind men and 35 adult blind women. The out- standing feature of the year under review was to attempt to reshape the training programme in the Centre because experience had indicated that the training in cottage industries did not provide adequate avenues of employment. With the advice of an expert provided by the International Labour Office, a section for training the blind in light engineering is being developed. If the present experiment succeeds, it is proposed to promote the development of similar sections in other parts of the country.
3. Sheltered WorkshopThe sheltered workshop which functions as an adjunct to the Training Centre employs 9 blind workers who are paid on a piece-rate basis. In addition, they are provided residential accommodation, a cook and medical aid free of cost.
4. Central Braille Press, Dehra Dun During the period under review the Central Braille Press added 8 new titles in Hindi to its catalogue bringing the total number to 113. Two additional Braille printing machines are being shortly provided by the UNICEF. With the arrival of these machines the rate of production is likely to be doubled.
5. Workshop for the Manufacture of Braille Appliances, Dehra Dun
6. Model School for Blind Children, Dehra Dun During the year under review was added the 7th class. The 8th class will be added during 1963-64. The number of children on the rolls rose from 50 to 54 during the year under review.
7.National Library for the BlindThe library was established during the year under review. With the addition of this library the project to establish a National Centre for the
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Blind at Dehra Dun, has been completed.
At present the library has about 6,000 Braille volumes. UNICEF is being requested to provide about 10,000 Braille volumes.
The library which will have books in English, Hindi and the regional languages will circulate them to blind readers throughout the country free of cost.
8.Training Centre for the Deaf, Hyderabad Until recently the country had no special institution for train- ing the adult deaf. Since deaf adults have often been found capable of profiting from technical training, a Training Centre for the Adult Deaf was established at Hyderabad in September, 1962. The centre started with an initial batch of 30 trainees who are being trained in sheet metal work, fitting and wiremanship. The number of trainees is to be increased to 50 during the coming year and training in a few other occupations is expected to be introduced.
9. School for the Mentally Deficient Sanction has been given for the establishment of a school for mentally deficient children in Delhi. The school will be open to boys and girls between 6 to 12 years of age and with an IQ range between 50 to 75. The school is expected to have accommodation for 50 residen- tial and 60 non-residential pupils.
10. Scholarships for the Physically Handicapped Under this scheme scholarships are awarded to blind and deaf students for higher education or for technical or professional train- ing. Scholarships are also awarded to orthopaedically handicapped students for education and for technical or professional training.
During the year under review, 251 fresh awards were made as under:
Category No.
Blind 82
Deaf 64
Orthopaedically
Handicapped 105
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TOTAL 251
11. Training of Teachers During the year under review two new schemes for the training of teachers were launched. Under one of the schemes, 3 teachers working in schools for the blind and the deaf have been awarded visiting fellowships. The object of this scheme is to enable teachers to observe the working of other institutions in the country and thus to enrich their professional experience.
Under another scheme, 5 craft instructors from schools for the handicapped have been sent for training at the training institutions of the All-India Handicrafts Board in Bombay and Calcutta. The train- ees are paid
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a monthly allowance by the training institutions and the Government of India reimburse to the sponsoring institutions the cost of appointing substitutes. During the year under review the Government of India have also prepared a scheme for the training of teachers of the blind. A common curriculum has been drawn up and the scheme is to be operated in collaboration with the UNICEF, who have agreed to provide stipends for the teacher trainees and the American Foundation for Overseas Blind who have agreed to provide the necessary books and equipment. The first course under this scheme is expected to start at Bombay in July, 1963.
12. Special Employment Exchanges for the Physically
HandicappedDuring the second Plan period a scheme for establishing special employment exchanges for the physically handicapped was initiated. These exchanges attempt to place trained blind, deaf and orthopaedi- cally handicapped persons in ordinary industrial and commercial estab- lishments as well as in the public services.
During the year under review a new exchange was established at Hyderabad. Sanction has also been accorded for the establishment of two new exchanges, one each at Calcutta and Bangalore.
13. Assistance to Voluntary Organisations for the HandicappedUnder this scheme assistance is given to voluntary organisations for the handicapped for the developmental activities. During the year under review a sum of Rs. 4,46,000 was sanctioned to 18 organisations for different categories of handicapped persons.
14. Financial ProvisionsFor the schemes discussed in this chapter, the following finan- cial provisions were made
Sl. No. Name of the Scheme Provision for Provision for
1962-63 1963-64
(1) (2) (3) (4)
1 Training Centre for the Rs. Rs.
Adult Blind, Dehra Dun 2,85,900 3,21,500
2 Sheltered Workshop for
the Blind, Dehra Dun 54,200 54,400
3 Workshop for the Manu-
facture of Braille Ap-
pliances, Dehra Dun 21,000 (Plan) 20,000
4 Central Braille Press,
Dehra Dun 1,51,600 (Non-Plan) 65,100
15,000 (Plan) 5,000
5 Model School for Blind
Children, Dehra Dun 1,04,800 (Non-Plan) 1,14,900
18,000 (Plan) 18,000
6 Establishment of the
National Library for
the Blind 15,000 (Plan) 12,000
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(1) (2) (3) (4)
7 Establishment of the Rs.Rs.
Training Centre for the
Adult Deaf, Hyderabad 1,00,000(Plan) 1,48,000
8 Establishment of a School
for Mentally Deficient
Children 50,000 62,000
9 Training of Primary
Teachers for the Handi-
capped 31,000 (Plan) 20,000
10 (a) Scholarships for the 62,000 (Non-Plan) 16,000
Blind 2,00,000 (Plan) 1,95,000
(b) Scholarships for the 18,000 (Non-Plan) 10,000
Deaf 1,20,000 (Plan) 1,05,000
(c) Scholarships for the 41,000 (Non-Plan) 29,700
Othopaedically Handicapped 1,68,000 (Plan) 2,57,000
11 Employment Organisation
for the Handicapped 26,000 (Non-Plan) 36,000
45,000 (Plan) 45,000
12 Assistance to Voluntary
Organisations for the
Handicapped 5,00,000 (Plan) 5,00,000