 |
Regional Workshop on the Empowerment of Persons with Intellectual
Disabilities and their Families in Asia and the Pacific |
|
|
Materials : Country Paper : ESCAP/CDPF
Regional Training Workshop Situation of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities and their Families In IndiaA report presented by Mrs. Jaya Krishnaswamy, India India, an ancient country with diversities, a living civilization, with age old child rearing practices still relevant. The repertoire of information available from traditional sources - The Vedas, oldest text, 3000 BC - acceptance of persons with disabilities, a natural order; Garbopanishad, Post Vedic Period,1000BC; a treatise on embryology; Susruta, rehabilitative surgeon; 700 BC corrective surgery; Buddha -Mahavira, self actualized princes turned ascetics 275BC- acceptance, care and management of person with disabilities; Chanakya , statesman,400BC - legally banning the use of derogatory terms; Patanjali, codifier of yogic practices, 200 BC- prevention, therapeutic; Caraka, physician, 100 BC classification of persons with intellectual disability; Vishnusharman, author, 100BC -Panchatantra, special education text; Sangam period, Southern India, 200BC to 200AD- community based services; Alwars 600-900AD, Meenakshi Pillai Thamizh 600 AD, poet savants - child rearing practices; C0lonial rule; British period circa.1800 to 1947-institutionalization. In the colonial period, the establishment of institutions for administrative convenience, gradually weakened the prevailing indigenous systems with community based rehabilitation, and, in due course almost annihilated them. Status on Intellectual Disability The status on intellectual disability today, in 2007, in the country, is worth a mention when relating to what it had been in 1947, the year of independence. Population: The population in 1947 was around 330 million. The population in India is over 1 billion (2007), a leap from what it was in 1947.
The Table below gives a comparison in the status of disability in the years 1947 and 2007
· Regarding the exact data on the prevalence, levels and types of disability among the persons with intellectual disability, an ambitious scheme has been launched by the Govt., of Tamil Nadu, S.India of a door to door survey. This is being conducted for establishing the etiological bases for the occurrence of the disability. With the outcome of the results of the survey the government plans to launch preventive programmes and to provide the needed array of services to every one with disability. A comparison on the Intellectual Disability Status in India between the year 1947, and 2007, sixty years after independence, shows an upward trend in the establishment of service providing organizations, from a mere 11 to 2010, nearly 200 times over. The special educators' training institutions rose from none to 70. An array of services is being provided today, with early intervention programmes, non existing, in 1947, to 198 to date; school programmes from only one to 2010 and these include residential and vocational programmes. Therapists' training in speech, occupation and physiotherapy has become specific to the needs in the array of services. This has made possible the inclusion of trained therapists as members of the interdisciplinary team of experts in the drawing up of individualized programmes plans in the delivery of services. The modes of training, for home based, centre based early intervention; for programmes in special schools, integrated, inclusive settings, transit schools, vocational, activity centres, community based programmes and residential programmes became structured, systematic and simple in application.. The enactment of the four legislations, namely, the Mental Health Act, 1987, the Rehabilitation Council of India Act 1992, the Persons with Disability Act, 1995 and the National Trust Act, 1999 in the area of disability have made the provision of array of services from prevention to adult life programmes mandatory in the country. Special Education Programmes for the Intellectually Disabled Even though the first text book on special education, an innovation for special education, had already been in use in training from the 1st century BC, changes in statecraft, influences of different religions at different times, the impact of socio cultural practices, and jerks in economic situations brought about a stagnation and the environment was no longer conducive to any further initiative in meeting the needs of the persons with intellectual disability. However, today, curriculum development for the training of children with intellectual disability and for the training of special educators has been accomplished. Modules have been prepared for imparting training. The curriculum and the modules so developed have been based on the scientific knowledge, of the east and west and judiciously blended with the inputs in the subject from the time tested child care legacy of the country, India. Parents' Empowerment Even though the service providers in the country know what to do, why to do, when to do, where to do, with whom to do and how to do in the provision of services for the population with disability, yet, the availability of only a few trained personnel to match the needs of the huge population of persons with disability, and insufficient funds to initiate and sustain the programmes, have slowed down the provision of services all over the country. Yet, having become aware of the efficacy of intervention services for their wards, the parents have begun initiating service centres and pressing their demands for more services. This led to the formation of parents' association, the first of its kind in the country, in 1964. In 1968 a research study in Chennai, India ,established the efficacy of training mothers as carry over agents for their children with intellectual disability. The off shoot of this study was the evolution of a result oriented management system in the country with parents as the integral part of the programme, now known as the Individualised Educational Programme. Though the initial pick up was slow, now in the recent two decades the empowered parents formed a parents' association at the national level, with representation in the government bodies, involving themselves in policy making and in initiating the setting up of service centres. Challenges The challenges of a large population with the literacy rate at 60%, and a 40% continuing to live below poverty line, make the scenario in services to disability a complex one. Compounding this situation, are the following challenges the insufficient number of required trained professionals, lack of prescribed standards in the delivery systems and quality control, and inadequate financial resources. However, the proactive government is initiating policies and is also establishing programmes and services to meet the challenges. In this endeavour the non governmental organizations are partners with the government. The legislations initiated by the government strengthened its measures in providing quality services. Initiatives by the Government The British Lunacy Act 1912 was repealed only in 1987, with The Mental Health Act precluding the persons with mental retardation from the Act. This gave an impetus to afford more services for persons with intellectual disability and a move from the medical model to a educational model. The Rehabilitation Council of India Act 1992 is responsible for providing qualified professionals trained in the accredited institutions following the standard curriculum developed by it. The trained professionals registering with the Rehabilitation Council of India, was also made mandatory The Persons with Disability Act 1995 defines the various disabilities and delineates the array of services required for persons with disability, from that of prevention to adult life requirements. It has become mandatory, the provision of all services in barrier free environments. The National Trust Act 1999 provides guardianship for the persons with disabilities, and includes in its list of disabilities, autism, cerebral palsy, mental retardation and multiple disabilities.. In the Educational for All, Sarva Sikhsha Abhyan (SSA) Scheme, 2001, a country wide mammoth project, persons with disabilities are included in the classroom situations in mainstream schools. In the Integrated Education for Disabled Children (IEDC) Scheme, the children with disabilities study in a special section in mainstream school. Around 200 District Disability Rehabilitation Centres, (DDRC) 2003, have been established wherever services had yet to be strengthened. In regions where services were scarce 6 Composite Rehabilitation Centres, 1998-99 have been established. to provide services for persons with disabilities, of all categories. The National Institute for the Mentally Handicapped, 1985 was established for material and man power development. Conclusion The current status of persons with disabilities is satisfactory, considering the limitations in the country. |
