APPENDIX A (M) : REPORT ON EDUCATION OF THE HANDICAPPED
Bharati Braille has been finalised. A pamphlet containing the final charts and the rules for reading and writing in Bharati Braille is under preparation. The final charts will be submitted to the Board as soon as possible. Meanwhile, the Central Braille Press at Dehra Dun has produced several books in Hindi and other regional languages.
The work of devising contracted Braille for Hindi is going ahead. The basic principles have been worked out. Details in are being worked out in the Ministry. The contracted Braille code for Hindi will be submitted to the Board as soon as possible.
An international conference was held in Paris front the 22nd to the 30th July, 1954, tinder the auspices of Unesco to Consider the possibility of evolving a single Braille music notation for the world. An officer of this Ministry attended the conference as a representative of the Government of India. The deliberations of the conference resulted in a substantial measure of agreement on a uniform system of' Braille notation for Western music. A concrete system for the various Eastern systems of music could not be worked out at the conference, but a set of guiding principles was agreed upon. The conference also set up machinery to carry out further experiments with a, view to evolving a more satisfactory system of writing music in Braille, Details of a notation for Indian music based broadly on the, recommendations of the conference are being worked out in this Ministry. The code will be submitted to the Board as soon as it is finalised.
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The Training Centre for the Adult Blind continues to make steady progress. During the period under review a small sheltered workshop has been established as part of the Centre. At present there are only ten blind workers in this workshop, but it is proposed to increase the number to 25 during the next financial year. A sum of Rs. 1,50,000 has been provided in the next year's budget for the construction of new buildings for the sheltered workshop.
The workers in. this workshop practise two trades, namely, chair caning and the weaving of woollen textiles. The average income of a chair-caner is between Rs. 60 and 75 p.m., while that of a weaver is between Rs. 90 and 130 p.m. In addition, the workers are provided with free accommodation, and medical aid.
During the period under review, the Centre has established a small office at Madras in order to find employment for ex-trainees of the Centre in ordinary industry. This experiment is still in its initial stages.
Funds have been provided in the next year's budget for continuing the experiment in finding works for blind persons in ordinary industry and also for undertaking a new scheme of home workers. Under this scheme it is proposed that suitable trainees will be proVided with the equipment necessary for the practice of their occupations and they will be encouraged to establish themselves ill their own homes. Their work will be periodically supervised by the officers of the Training Centre.
One of the greatest obstacles to rapid progress in the education of the blind has hitherto been the difficulty in obtaining the special appliances used in the education of the blind. In order to overcome this difficulty, the Central Braille Press at Dehra Dun has for the last several months been experimenting with the production of Braille slates. This experiment has proved very successful and about 150 Braille slates made at Dehra Dun have been sold to institutions for the blind and blind individuals at about one-fifth the price of imported slates.
But at present we are not able to manufacture at Dehra Dun all the appliances essential for the education of the blind. Conse- quently, it has been decided to import some appliances from abroad and stock them at the Central Braille Press so that they may be easily available to those who need them. The Ministry of Finance has kindly agreed to exempt these appliances from the payment of customs duty so that the customers will have to pay less, if they buy these appliances from the Central Braille Press than if they were to import them from abroad.
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Plains for the establishment of a Model School for Blind Children at Debra Dun are going ahead. This school will have three main departments, namely,
(1) a Primary and Secondary school for blind boys and girls, (2) a Kindergarten section and (3) a teachers training department. Construction of buildings for the school is expected to start in a few months.
Meanwhile, it has been decided to establish a women's section in the Training Centre for the Adult Blind, Debra Dun. This scheme has been included in the first five-year plan. The object of' this section will be to impart suitable vocational training to adult blind women.
A provision of Rs. 14,000 exists in the budget for the current financial year for awarding scholarships to blind students for higher education and advanced professional training. A sum of Rs. 32,500 has been provided in the next year's budget for this purpose. Eighteen new scholarships have been awarded during the current year. In addition, 14 scholarships are being continued from the last year. Four scholars have completed their studies during the current year.
A sum of Rs. 24,000 has been provided in the next year's budget for awarding scholarships to deaf students for receiving technical training. A further sum of Rs. 12,000 has been provided in the budget for 1955-56 for awarding scholarships to orthopaedically handicapped children.
It has been decided to appoint a National Advisory Council for the Education of the Handicapped. This Council will consist of experts on the education of four important groups of handicapped persons, namely, (1) the blind, (2) the deaf, (3) the orthopaedically handicapped and (4) the mentally handicapped. The object of this Council will be to formulate new schemes for the education of the handicapped and assist the Government of India in maintaining better contact with field work.
In response to an invitation from the Government of India the distinguished deaf-blind American author and lecturer (Miss) Hellen Keller is visiting this country en route to Pakistan, Japan and the Philippines. She will be accompanied by her Secretary, Miss Polly Thompson. She will be in this country from the 20th February to the 28th April, 1955. During their stay in this country Miss Keller and Miss Thompson will be treated as State guests. They are expected to visit Bombay, Hyderabad, Madras, Mysore, Calcutta, Delhi, Debra Dun and Mussoorie. A suitable itinerary for them is being drawn up in consultation with the State Governments concerned.
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