Children Home for Blind Boys – Services

• Blind students from 6 to 21 years study from nursery to eighth standard in this residential school.
• Guidance is given to blind and other handicapped students and their guardians are well instructed about study-training-treatment-employment and other matters.
• Various equipment like Braille-notes and educational apparatus are lent to blind students for their use.
• Students of eleven-twelve standards are getting the opportunity of studying Braille books at the Library and also books for the sighted persons in case of Low-Vision students.
• Digital Literacy in the form of Computer Training to students of all class from V to XII are regularly held following a Lesson Plan specially designed for individuals after assessment. JAWS Screen Reader Software is being used for this purpose. This software will definitely be of immense help for these children who can better be called more vibrant than even the people with normal visual capability. This software has opened up a new horizon of learning to these differently-abled children who will surely initiate a miracle with the inputs of this technical privilege.
• Individual Care Plan are prepared and updated as and when necessary.
• Regular Parents-Teachers Meeting are organised for sensitization for both ends.
• Counselling of the children is done regularly as required.
• Physical Training.
• Awareness camps, cultural programmes, promotional posters, publications etc. are organised for imparting clear-cut ideas to the blind and other disabled.
• Maintaining regular liaison with different organisation (Govt / non-Govt.) for supply of materials like Walking Stick, Talking Book, Daizy Players for the students.
• Monthly check-up of general health and eye, as well, are done and also in the OPD / Indoor treatment, if referred to, in the District Hospital.
• Annual Sports and Nature Study-cum-Educational Tour take place once in each year, especially in the Winters.
• Students learn vocal and instrumental music along with general studies.
• Students can appear in exams conducted by recognised music colleges.
• Handicapped students are taught to enhance their creativity abilities.
• After passing out class eight, students can avail studying in outside general school- colleges staying at the student-hostel till the age of eighteen.
• Get enrolled in Employment Exchange and employment assistance.
• All possible sorts of assistance and training endeavor so as to let them lead a self-reliant life.
• Opportunity provided for participating in sports and cultural competitions at district & state level thus growing up to face this vast society.
• Domestic care, school discipline and local affection – combination of these three contribute to their overall development.

SPECIAL INITIATIVES undertaken for betterment of the inmates/students of this Home: ~

• Repair / renovation of the facilities in the Hostel & office including the open space (including lighting arrangement) was completed by PWD giving a altogether different look from its history of last more than 50 years;
• The initiatives started in the previous year are being still successfully maintained / streamlined also during this reporting year;
• All students use daisy players (class IX onwards) as have been arranged from National Institute of Visually Handicapped;
• Two boys (of age 17+) have been trained on Cricket and Computer Applications at Bengaluru and Jharkhand respectively for future prospect, if any;
• Started convergence with ICDS for preparing database of male & blind children towards new admission to this Home;
• Introduced WIFS on each Monday to the inmates from December 2018 apart from monthly check-up by medical team from District Hospital along with referral services as recommended by them;
• Arranged the determination of incidences of Thalasaemia and also determination of blood groups for all inmates of this Home;
• Holding periodic meetings with Parents;
• As initiated by this CCI, approval of the Department was obtained for procurement of rice [under a scheme for Welfare Homes of GOI] which was started from January 2019;
• Arrangements have been done by resuming school activities on Saturdays by deputing two Special Educators (for Mathematics / Science & English) from SSM by the intervention of District Magistrate, Cooch Behar;
• Started sending students even before class VIII to normal school for early mainstreaming;
• Installed Geyser and Washing Machine for inmates in the Hostel;
• The windows of the Hostel, especially the residential part of the inmates, have been covered with Mosquito Net (Designer Screens);
• After Care Facilities in this Home for the students of 18+ years has been established;
• Initiated proposal and obtaining approval for the CSR activities of the Airport Authority of India, Cooch Behar for making provision for SMART CANE (Walking aids for the Visually Impaired inmates of this Home) which has already been provided to them by the District Magistrate, Cooch Behar;
• Initiated proposal for Optimal Rationalisation of Human Resources in this Home for better implementation of ICPS, J. J. Act and the functioning of the School attached to this Home, as well;
• Arranged for a mowing (grass cutting) machine for the lawn of this office from Army.

Domain and Extension of Disability Sector – Definitions & Enactment: ~

Domain and Extension of Disability Sector:

There is an increasing recognition and emphasis on the needs and rights of people with disabilities which has resulted in a growing demand for information by the planners and policy makers involved in this field. The constitution of India ensures equality, freedom, justice and dignity of all individuals and implicitly mandates an inclusive society for all including persons with disabilities. The policies of the Government of India towards the welfare of persons with disabilities have been reflected in the enactments, schemes and through institutions established for various relevant activities. The Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995 and National Policy for Persons with Disabilities released in 2006 are two of the initiatives which emphasized the importance given to this particular issue by the Government of India.

Definitions of Disability:

(a) World Health Organization

As per the World Health Organization, Disability is an umbrella term, covering impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions. Impairment is a problem in body function or structure; an activity limitation is a difficulty encountered by an individual in executing a task or action; while a participation restriction is a problem experienced by an individual in involvement in life situations. Thus disability is a complex phenomenon, reflecting an interaction between features of a person‟s body and features of the society in which he or she lives.

(b) United Nations

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2006), the first legally binding disability specific human rights convention, adopted by the United Nations gives two descriptions of disability. The Preamble to the Convention states that “Disability results from the interaction between persons with impairments and attitudinal and environmental barriers that hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others”. Again, it emphasizes that “Persons with disabilities include those who have long term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which in interaction with various barriers may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others”. Both the expressions reflect a shift from a medical model to social model of disability.

Enactment:

The government of India has put in place an Act for the disabled to make sure the disabled also form an important part of nation building. The Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995 came into force on February 7, 1996. It is a significant step which ensures equal opportunities for the people with disabilities. The Act provides for both the preventive and promotional aspects of rehabilitation like education, employment and vocational training, reservation, research and manpower development, creation of barrier- free environment, rehabilitation of persons with disability, unemployment allowance for the disabled, special insurance scheme for the disabled employees and establishment of homes for persons with severe disability etc.

This Act was repealed and took a new shape in its modified form in 2016.

The types of disabilities have been increased from existing 7 to 21 and the Central Government will have the power to add more types of disabilities. The 21 disabilities are given below as per “The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill – 2016” passed by the Parliament during December 2016:-