 APPENDIX A (j) :
REPORT ON THE EDUCATION OF THE
 HANDICAPPED-ESTABLISHMENT OF THE
 NATIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL FOR
 EDUCATION.

I. Education of the Blind

(a) Training Centre for the Adult Blind, Dehra Dun.

The Training Centre for the Adult Blind, Dehra Dun imparts training in cottage-industry-type handicrafts to about 150 adult blind men from all

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parts of the country. During the next financial year it is proposed to increase its capacity to 200. Scheme for the establishment of a Women's Section of this Centre has been undertaken and it is hoped that work on the construction of buildings for this centre will commence next year.

The Sheltered workshop for the Blind established in June, 1954 on a small scale with ten blind workers engaged in weaving of woollen textiles and chair-canning, has proved successful. It is proposed to expand it during the current financial year to accommodate 25 workers. The scheme for sheltered workshop has been included in the first Five- Year Plan and has been proposed to be included in the second Five-Year Plan. It is envisaged that in the second Five-Year Plan period the sheltered workshop will be further expanded to take 100 workers.

(b) Central Braille Press, Dehra Dun.

The Central Braille Press, Dehra Dun, set up in October 1950, has so far produced 21 Braille books in the following languages:-Hindi, English, Telugu, Gujrati and Marathi. Its productive capacity is at present limited. Efforts are, however, being made to increase its capacity by installing more machines.

The workshop for the manufacture of Braille appliances set up as an adjunct to the Central Braille Press, Dehra Dun in 1954 has so far produced about 500 Braille Slates-the basic appliance needed in the education of the blind. This workshop is also carrying on experiments to produce other appliances needed in the education of the blind. This scheme is proposed to be included in the second Five-Year Plan.

Until such time as all appliances needed in the education of the blind are manufactured in this country, this Ministry is working on a scheme of importing apparatus and appliances from abroad and stocking them at the Central Braille Press for sale to institutions for the blind and bonafide blind individuals. The first consignment of such appliances worth about Rs. 5,000 has arrived.

This Ministry initiated a scheme of scholarships for the Blind in 1952-53 for enabling blind persons over the age of 16 to undertake higher academic education, professional or vocational training. Until this financial year the scheme of the scholarships for the blind was being implemented in conjunction with such parts A and B States as agreed to bear 50% of the cost of each scholarship. This year it has been made ail entirely Central scheme and 47 candidates have been selected for award of these scholarships out of which 20 are renewals.

(d) Employment Organisation

Last year a small unit was established at Madras to try and secure remunerative employment for some of the ex-trainees of the Training Centre for the Adult Blind. This experiment has been successful and 33 persons have been employed chiefly in the Indian Telephone Industries, Bangalore and the Match-factories, Shivkashi. It is proposed to expand this organisation during the next financial year.

(e) Seminar on the Education of the Blind

Under the auspices of this Ministry a Seminar on the education of the blind was held at Mussoorie from the 18th April to the 23rd April, 1955. It was inaugurated by Dr. Helen Keller. The Seminar discussed all aspects of the education of blind children and adolescents and made a number of valuable recommendations.

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(f) Grants to Institutions for the Blind

With a view to helping the institutions for the blind in transcribing books into Bharati Braille, grants are being given to them. In 1954-55 a total sum of Rs. 7,426/-was sanctioned to nine institutions. A sum of Rs. 8,000/-exists in the budget for the current financial year for this purpose. Sets of final charts of Bharati Braille in all principal regional languages have been circulated to all institutions for the blind and State Governments.

II. Education of the deaf and other Handicapped Persons

(a) Scholarships for the Deaf

Scheme of scholarships for the deaf is being initiated as Central Scheme this year with a view to enabling deaf persons over the age of 16 to undertake academic education higher than primary or middle standard, technical or vocational training in ordinary technical institutions. The maximum amount of each scholarship for the deaf is Rs. 75/-per mensem. 50 candidates have been selected for award of these scholarships.

(b) Scholarships for the Orthopaedically Handicapped.

A scheme of scholarships for the orthopaedically handicapped is also being initiated this year as a Central Scheme. The object of this scheme is to encourage orthopaedically handicapped children, adolescents and adults to receive Primary, Secondary, or University education or professional training. The maximum amount of each scholarship under this scheme will be Rs. 100/- per mensem.

A Scheme of supplying group hearing aids to a few good institutions for the deaf in the country is under consideration. Import of such appliances from abroad has been kept in abeyance pending the results of the efforts of the National Physical Laboratory of India to produce indigenous group hearing aids. The National Physical Laboratory has already produced its prototype which is now being tested in a school for the deaf.

(d) Seminar on the Education of the Deaf

A Seminar on the education of the Deaf was held at Mussoorie from the 19th to the 24th September, 1955 under the auspices of this Ministry. The Seminar discussed all aspects of the education of deaf children and adolescents and made valuable recommendations.

III. National Advisory Council for the Education of the Handi- capped

At the instance of the Minister of Education, a National Advisory. Council for the Education of the Handicapped has been set up. Prof. Humayun Kabir, Secretary, Ministry of Education, is the first Chairman of this Council.

The first meeting of the National Advisory Council for the Education of the Handicapped was held in New Delhi on the 13th and 14th October, 1955. The meeting was inaugurated by Dr. K. L. Shrimali, Deputy Minister of Education in the absence of the Minister.

The Council reviewed the existing facilities available for the education of the handicapped in the various States and adopted a Resolution recommending to the State Governments that these facilities should be expanded and the services of the voluntary organisations should be utilized wherever possible..

The Council also considered the recommendations of the Seminars held at Mussoorie on the Education of the Blind and Deaf and recommended a programme of work for the next financial year i. e. 1956-57. The main items recommended by the Council are :-

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(a) Education of the Blind

(i) Organisation of short term training courses for teachers of the blind on a regional basis.

(ii) Fellowships for the teachers of the blind.

(iii) Importing of dies at a Governmental level for the manufacture of Braille appliances at the Central Braille Press.

(iv) Setting up of an employment organisation for the handicapped.

(v) Establishment of a residential Nursery school.

(b) Education of the Deaf:

1. Preparation of a suitable uniform syllabus for schools for the deaf.

2. Finalisation of suitable uniform syllabus for Training colleges for the deaf.

3. Establishment of a comprehensive Audiological Centre.

4. Establishment of a Technical Training Centre for Adult Deaf.

5. Establishment of Model School for deaf children with a clinic attached to it for the ascertainment of deafness.

6. Setting up of an employment unit for the deaf.

The Council also approved the syllabus of a short term training course of three months' duration for teachers of the blind.

The Council also unanimously recommended that the education and welfare of the handicapped should be brought on the Concurrent List. The Council further recommended enactment of special legislation for the handicapped as soon as possible.

The Council approved the schemes of the Ministry for inclusion in the Second Five-Year Plan with a few minor modifications.

The Council adopted a Resolution requesting all the State Governments to appoint Advisory Councils for the Education of the Handicapped on, the lines of the National Advisory Council for the Education of the Handicapped appointed by the Government of India.

The Council decided to appoint a Standing Committee consisting of seven persons.

A copy of the proceedins of the meeting is given below.

The recommendations of the Council are under consideration and the following schemes recommended by the Council are proposed. to be included in the Second Five-Year Plan.

1. Establishment of a Model School for Blind Children.

2. Expansion of the Training Centre for the Adult Blind, Dehra Dun.

3. Establishment of a Model School for Deaf Children with a clinic attached to it, for the ascertainment of hearing.

4. Establishment of a Technical Training Centre for the Adult Deaf.

PROCEEDINGS OF THE FIRST MEETING OF THE NATIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL FOR THE EDUCATION OF THE HANDI- CAPPED HELD ON 13th AND 14th OCTOBER, 1955.

The first meeting of the National Advisory Council for the Education of the Handicapped was held at 11-00 A. M. on Thursday, the 13th Oct., 1955 in the Central Hall, Parliament House, New Delhi. The following were present :-

1. Prof. Humayun Kabir, Secretary, Ministry of Education. Chairman.

2. Shri K. G. Saiyidain, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Education.

3. Dr. C. V. Ramchandani, Directorate General of Health Services.

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4. Shri R. S. Krishnan, Secretary, Central Social Welfare Board.

5. Shri Edward Jonathan, Principal, Schools for the Blind, Palam-cottah.

6. Shri U. A. Basrurkar, Hony Secretary, Blind Relief Association, New Delhi.

7. Shri P. M. Advani, Banaras.

8. Shri N. C. Chaturvedi, M. L. C., Hony. Secretary, Deaf and Dumb School, Lucknow.

9. Smt. Evelyn Khan, Principal, Deaf and Dumb School, Lucknow.

10. Dr. S. N. Banerjee, Principal, Calcutta Deaf and Dumb School, Calcutta.

11. Shri A. C. Sen, Principal, Govt. Lady Noyce School for the Deaf & Dumb, New Delhi.

12. Shri B. B. Choudhury, Principal, All Orissa. Deaf & Dumb School. Bhubaneswar.

13. Dr. C. A. Amesur, E. N. T. Specialist, Bombay.

14. Smt. Kamala V. Nimbkar, Director, Occupational Therapy Centre, Bombay.

15. Dr. G. D. Agarwal, Lecturer in Orthopaedics, Medical College, Agra.

16. Dr. Dhiren Kiri, Hon. Orthopaedic Surgeon, Irwin Hospital, New Delhi.

17. Shri B. D. Bhatia, Director, Child Guidance Clinic, New Delhi.

18. Shri H. N. Thakur, Superintendent, Reformatory School, Hazaribagh.

19. Dr. K. R' Masani, Bombay.

20. Dr. C. M. Bhatia, Director, Bureau of Psychology, Allahabad.

21. Dr. R. K. Bhan, Deputy Educational Adviser, Ministry of Education. Member Secretary.

The meeting was expected to be inaugurated by the Minister for Education. But he could not be present on account of other important business and in his absence the meeting was inaugurated by Dr. K. L. Shrimali, Dy. Minister for Education., Dr. J. C. Ghosh, Member Planning, Commission and Shrimati Durgabai Deshmukh, Chairman, Central Social Welfare Board also attended the-meeting for part of the time.

In his inaugural address, Dr. K. L. Shrimali said that we did not have accurate figures with regard to the number of blind, deaf or other handicapped children in this country but their number was no doubt very large. He said that handicapped children were a part of society and they needed greater sympathy and greater care on account of their handicaps. He said that some scattered attempts had been made in the past to impart education to handicapped children but he emphasised the need for a more effective organisation of this work. He also called for the development of a scientific approach instead of a merely humanitarian approach to the problems of the handicapped.

Dr. Shrimali added that the Government of India had established the National Advisory Council for the Education of the Handicapped to advise and assist voluntary organisations for the handicapped as well as the State Governments." This was one of the many advisory councils set up by the Government of India in the field of education, said Dr. Shrimali, but it was by no means the least important of these Councils because it had been entrusted with a very noble task.

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In his opening speech the Chairman said that the problem of the handicapped was in a way a comparatively recent development. There was time when society paid no attention to the handicapped. He explained how in Sparta the problem of the handicapped was more or less solved. by doing away with them.

The Chairman went on to point out that a particular handicap did not always affect the total personality of the individual. He then cited the examples of Homer, the blind, and Temur, the lame, who had distinguished themselves in their own fields. He added that it was beginning to be recognised that given adequate opportunities, handicapped persons could become an asset to society instead of a source of embarrassment. During the past two decades or so, the aim of the education of the handicapped had been not merely to enable them to survive but to help them to become contributing members of the community also.

The Chairman then mentioned a few rough estimates of the number of the population of the various groups of handicapped persons in the country. He also outlined the activities of the Government of India in the field of the education of the handicapped, and said that the blind bad received a little more attention than the deaf. The position in regard to persons otherwise physically handicapped and mentally handicapped was much worse.

In a reference to the recent visit of Dr. Helen Keller to this country, the Chairman said, "She is a challenge and an example to many of those who suffer from physical handicaps".

Referring to the Central Social Welfare Board, the Chairman said that the Board had been undertaking all types of social work and that one of the fields in which they could render help would be in the field of the education of the handicapped of different types. In conclusion, the Chairman said that if we utilised whatever resources we had with sympathy and consideration and if we also utilised the services of the many voluntary organisations and philanthropic individuals who had rendered valuable services in this field, we should be able to make great progress.

Before closing his speech, the Chairman paid a warm tribute to the signal services rendered by voluntary organisations in the field of the education of the handicapped.

The Council then took up the various items of the agenda for consideration.

ITEM 2

To review existing educational facilities for the handicapped in this country.

The Council received a report on the educational facilities for the handicapped in this country prepared by the Ministry of Education. It. adopted the following resolution:

"This Council reviewed the facilities available for the education of the handicapped of different types in the various States and is of the view that these facilities are totally inadequate. This Council therefore recom- mends to the State Governments concerned to provide for expansion of the facilities and for that purpose make provision in the Second Five Year Plan so that at least a beginning can be made in each State for providing opportunities for the education of handicapped children of various types. This Council also recommends to the State Governments to utilise the services of the existing voluntary organisations wherever this is possible and to encourage them by giving them all possible help including adequate financial assistance".

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ITEM 3

To consider the recommendations made by the Seminar on the Education of the blind held at Mussoorie from the 18th to 23rd April, 1955 and' to allot priorities to the various recommendations.

The Council appointed a Sub-Committee to consider the recommenda- tions of the Seminar on the Education of the Blind and to draw up a practicable programme. On the recommendations of this Sub-Committe, the Council approved the following programme for 1956-57:

(i) The Government of India should organise short-term training courses for teachers of the blind on a regional basis.

(ii) The Government of India should increase the number of fellowships awarded to teachers of the blind for visiting other institutions for the blind in, this country.