The
Spastics Society of India
How
we Began
The
Spastics Society of India was founded in 1972 at a time
when very little was
known about the complicated disorder of cerebral palsy.
Initially it provided education and treatment services gradually
broadening its scope to teacher training, vocational training
of young adults, advocacy and awareness, support for parents
and other professionals.
Today,
it is one of the foremost organisations in the medical and
social field working for children with developmental disorders.
It has facilities for identification, assessment, education
and treatment. It has early infant
clinics where babies at high risk are assessed; it runs
schools providing a holistic program combining education
and treatment under one roof.
Other
Spastics Societies were set-up based on this model. Each
of the Societies is today independent and well known for
their innovative work for disabled people. This paradigm
has now been replicated in 16 of the 31 states. However
all this has been on a micro level.
Research:
A Macro View
A
Government of India survey found that a staggering 98% of
persons with disability were outside the ambit of services,
Dr. Mithu Alur, Founder of the Spastics Society of India,
investigated Government of India's ICDS policy which excluded
disabled children from their programmes in her doctoral
research entitled Invisible Children: A Study of Policy
Exclusion. The research found that various factors have
led to children with disabilities being left out of existing
programmes. This has also led to marginalisation of people
with disabilities 90% of disabled people are out of any
service, specially in the rural areas. The Spastics Society
of India began its second journey... the journey of inclusion.
The
National Resource Centre for Inclusion
Following
the findings of this doctoral research the Society moved
away from segregated
education to inclusive education. It strongly felt that
education of children
with disabilities must become the State responsibility.
Disabled adults
and families who have suffered from being marginalized for
years must be brought to the forefront and rightfully
take their place in the country
as citizens. The aim is to construct an inclusive community
where all children,
who face barriers to learning due to social disadvantages,
gender or disability
are included.
The
National Resource Centre
for Inclusion
(NRCI) was
created
at Mumbai
in
1999
to address
these issues on a
macro-micro level. A Charter was develop.
The admission policy was changed to address all
children with disability
as well as other children facing barriers to learning.
Some of the services and projects are:
Pedagogy:
Teacher Training Course
Courses
have been reviewed and the philosophy of inclusion is a
part of the revised
curriculum in all the courses.
Community
Initiatives in Inclusive Education (CIIE)
A
three month certificate course which aims to prepare Master
Trainers, and Management personnel to run, plan and train
others in the Asia Pacific region has started.
All
India Regional Alliance for Inclusion Education (AIRA)
An
All India Regional Alliance has been formed of organizations
around the country to move towards inclusion in each of
the regions.
Inclusive
Education Practice in Early Childhood in Mumbai, India
Inclusive
Education Practice In Early Childhood in Mumbai, India is
a collaborative effort of The Spastics Society of India,
Mumbai, and UNICEF supported by The Canadian International
Development Agency. It is an action research study
based in the socially disadvantaged areas of Mumbai, India.
The study addressed the acute marginalization of children
with disabilities and their isolation from their communities
and society.
Able
Disabled All People Together (ADAPT)
On
the national level a disabled activist
group or the Rights
Group has been formed. This is called
ADAPT. ADAPT stands
for Able Disabled
All People together. Many barriers exist
that limit people with disability
from being
active participants in every day life. Their
basic human rights denied, invisibility in public
policy, negative attitudes, inaccessible
facilities and
transportation systems. Through its
activities ADAPT will
attempt to address
these barriers:
Objectives
of ADAPT
•
Raise awareness on disability issues.
•
Advocate and lobby on issues and concerns of people
with a disability
•
Provide a forum for sharing information and resources
•
Organise seminars, workshops, social events.
•
Network with individuals and other similar organizations
to achieve
common goals.
Attitudes
& Awareness
Attitudes
of society towards people with disability has its roots
in religion, myths, prejudice and ignorance. Adapt endeavours
to bring about changes in attitudes through dissemination
of information regarding various disabilities through
print and electronic media and by organizing appropriate
events.
Inaccessible
Facilities And Transportation Systems
A
major barrier faced by persons with disability is inaccessible
transport system and
public places like cinema halls, restaurants, public
exhibitions, shopping centres etc. An ongoing project of
ADAPT is to survey
various public places, hi addition to this authorities
are being approached to modify them by adding ramps or elevators
whereever needed. Newspaper interviews and articles are
used to create
awareness among people. It has recently ensured access to
various public places like the Bombay High Court, IMAX Cinema
Hall, Globus,
Shopping Centre, etc. The main aim of ADAPT is to move
the organisation from a service delivery one to rights and
entitlements, hi keeping
with the new model of disability emerging around the world
the slogan of ADAPT is: ‘Nothing For The Disabled Without
The Disabled.’
Narika
Shakti
Narika
Shakti is a new service which seeks to open up opportunities
for employment and income for women who were earlier in
Mahila Mandals. The aim of Narika Shakti is to provide empowerment
of women in slum communities, by harnessing their collective
strengths, channeling these strengths into income generating
work.
Narika
Shakti aims to sell the products produced by the women,
reinvest the income generated into production material and
overhead costs, and have the women share all profits generated.
The
National Resource Centre for Inclusion
The Spastics Society of India
Bandra Reclamation
K.C. Marg
Bandra (West)
Mumbai 400 050 (India)
Tel: 2644 3666/ 2644 3688/ 2643 0703/ 26430704
Email: mithulaur@hotmail.com
Website: www.nrcissi.org
