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The deaf find a voice at this school like no other - ExpressIndia.Com
Priya Aggrawal, a BCom first year student, like any other college-going girl of her age, loves to hang out with her friends. She is also a trained Bharatnatyam dancer.
Rajeev, a computer teacher at the Delhi Foundation for Deaf Women, loves talking on his mobile. Apart from their ebullience and a fierce reaction to any form of pity, all that is similar between these two is that they are both hearing impaired. But this physical disability has not limited their aspirations.
Priya’s dream is to become a chartered accountant like her father and her parents are confident that, like other challenges, she will overcome this too.
Priya is one of 60 hearing impaired students at Suniye School. This is a parent-run support group, formed in 1995, with the primary objective of speech and language development for hearing impaired children. Children of all ages are enrolled here.
The NGO will now be facilitating more such differently-abled students after their first school opened on Monday.
Delhi finance minister, Dr A K Walia, who spoke at the inaugural ceremony, said: “This NGO, by integrating these differently-abled children in the mainstream, is performing the government’s responsibility of providing education to all.”
Suniye has a membership of about 200 parents, who, after enrolling, benefit from various services like speech and language development courses, counselling for parents and students and other support programmes. “Suniye is the only school in Delhi that teaches its students through speech therapy and not sign language, as they believe that only through finding their own voice can the students lead a independent life,” said a parent.
All of its students are also studying in regular schools. They come to Suniye only to further improve their speech. In order to make its students self-reliant and self-sufficient, Suniye also organises visits to railway stations, airports, banks etc. This helps them with routine work.
Dr Sudarshan Vaid, whose son has hearing impairment, said: “We did not detect our son Sushant’s problem till he was about two-years-old. But we were lucky to be in Delhi as we had access to the best medical aid. Today, my son is as normal as any other child his age.” Vaid, who is also a founding member of Suniye, said, “I believe in inclusive education. We are only instrumental in giving them the much-needed push. And today, we have many success stories. Our students have excelled in academics, many have successfully finished their studies and are now pursuing careers in computers and many other creative fields.”
The NGO also helps its students enjoy a fuller life by arranging dance and theatre classes. Renowned Bharatnatyam dancer Jayalakshmi Eshwar teaches these differently-abled children the dance form through touch and the count-the-steps method. Praising her students, she said: “Teaching these kids is a very satisfying and enriching experience. They all are so observant that they grasp the steps really fast. They have performed in group production themes like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.”
While such support groups are working tirelessly for the integration of their students in the mainstream, the government is still not doing enough. President of Suniye, Praveen Aggarwal, said: “Our scope is still limited as the government does not regularly fund organisations like ours. Here at Suniye, all the funds are generated through donations and by advertisements in our in-house magazine Dhun. As part of its efforts, Suniye also holds regular theatre workshops to instil confidence in the students.”
“Moreover, regular schools do not cater to the needs of these children, as the teaching process makes the survival of these students in regular schools difficult. So even the bright students have to drop out after Class XII. For them it is very difficult to cope with college-level studies,” said a parent.
Suniye, along with others like Dumb Way, are some of the few dedicated support groups working for the cause of improving the lives of hearing impaired children and youngsters. In proportion to the large number of illiterate hearing-impaired people, these support groups are few and rare.
Being independent is fine. But I wouldn't boast about the overall success if not all could continue to complete schooling because they couldn't catch up on the lessons.
Priya Aggrawal, a BCom first year student, like any other college-going girl of her age, loves to hang out with her friends. She is also a trained Bharatnatyam dancer.
Rajeev, a computer teacher at the Delhi Foundation for Deaf Women, loves talking on his mobile. Apart from their ebullience and a fierce reaction to any form of pity, all that is similar between these two is that they are both hearing impaired. But this physical disability has not limited their aspirations.
Priya’s dream is to become a chartered accountant like her father and her parents are confident that, like other challenges, she will overcome this too.
Priya is one of 60 hearing impaired students at Suniye School. This is a parent-run support group, formed in 1995, with the primary objective of speech and language development for hearing impaired children. Children of all ages are enrolled here.
The NGO will now be facilitating more such differently-abled students after their first school opened on Monday.
Delhi finance minister, Dr A K Walia, who spoke at the inaugural ceremony, said: “This NGO, by integrating these differently-abled children in the mainstream, is performing the government’s responsibility of providing education to all.”
Suniye has a membership of about 200 parents, who, after enrolling, benefit from various services like speech and language development courses, counselling for parents and students and other support programmes. “Suniye is the only school in Delhi that teaches its students through speech therapy and not sign language, as they believe that only through finding their own voice can the students lead a independent life,” said a parent.
All of its students are also studying in regular schools. They come to Suniye only to further improve their speech. In order to make its students self-reliant and self-sufficient, Suniye also organises visits to railway stations, airports, banks etc. This helps them with routine work.
Dr Sudarshan Vaid, whose son has hearing impairment, said: “We did not detect our son Sushant’s problem till he was about two-years-old. But we were lucky to be in Delhi as we had access to the best medical aid. Today, my son is as normal as any other child his age.” Vaid, who is also a founding member of Suniye, said, “I believe in inclusive education. We are only instrumental in giving them the much-needed push. And today, we have many success stories. Our students have excelled in academics, many have successfully finished their studies and are now pursuing careers in computers and many other creative fields.”
The NGO also helps its students enjoy a fuller life by arranging dance and theatre classes. Renowned Bharatnatyam dancer Jayalakshmi Eshwar teaches these differently-abled children the dance form through touch and the count-the-steps method. Praising her students, she said: “Teaching these kids is a very satisfying and enriching experience. They all are so observant that they grasp the steps really fast. They have performed in group production themes like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.”
While such support groups are working tirelessly for the integration of their students in the mainstream, the government is still not doing enough. President of Suniye, Praveen Aggarwal, said: “Our scope is still limited as the government does not regularly fund organisations like ours. Here at Suniye, all the funds are generated through donations and by advertisements in our in-house magazine Dhun. As part of its efforts, Suniye also holds regular theatre workshops to instil confidence in the students.”
“Moreover, regular schools do not cater to the needs of these children, as the teaching process makes the survival of these students in regular schools difficult. So even the bright students have to drop out after Class XII. For them it is very difficult to cope with college-level studies,” said a parent.
Suniye, along with others like Dumb Way, are some of the few dedicated support groups working for the cause of improving the lives of hearing impaired children and youngsters. In proportion to the large number of illiterate hearing-impaired people, these support groups are few and rare.
Being independent is fine. But I wouldn't boast about the overall success if not all could continue to complete schooling because they couldn't catch up on the lessons.