Inclusive Education, Patna, India

April 22, 2020

At Notre Dame School, Sumbuck, all children are welcome, including those with disabilities. Even while India is making huge progress in the field of education with a campaign on “education for all,” securing the rights of persons with disabilities (RPWD- Act 2016) is still a challenge. Consequently, we have started a daycare center providing physiotherapy. Our strategies include audio-visual learning, therapeutic intervention, yoga classes, and training in activities of daily living. Though special education is necessary in certain cases, we advocate and encourage inclusive learning, so the disabled children attend the school and also receive their daycare therapy on a regular basis. The children are given individual schedules allowing them to take the therapy during their free periods. At present twelve children are being helped in this way. We have made the classrooms accessible to students with disabilities by building a ramp and creating disabled-friendly surroundings, lavatories, and classrooms.

Early intervention Program

As we know, disability and poverty are frequently intertwined. The conditions of disability can be addressed best if children are diagnosed during their early stages of life. Therefore, we reach out to the disadvantaged communities to provide health and rehabilitation services. Through our community-based programs, along with training for our animators and staff, we have identified children with disabilities early in life and have started early interventions to correct the deformities and to prevent further deterioration. These actions have a great impact on the parents, families, and communities.

We make a difference

Our physiotherapy center in Sumbuck functions well with the trained physiotherapists, Ms. Naveena and Sr. M. Seema, who provide regular therapeutic assistance at the center as well as in the students’ homes. The children who live at a distance and cannot be brought to the center are visited regularly for in-home therapy. In addition, the parents are taught to continue it. From time to time, new interventions are introduced to improve the condition as well as to plan for further treatments. Along with our ministry for disabled children, we also treat many stroke and paralyzed patients, many of whom have gone home completely rehabilitated.

Ensuring safe pregnancies through mothers’ training and encouraging institutional deliveries have helped to prevent certain disabilities. Regular ANC visits, vaccination, and proper diet during pregnancy are preventing anemia. Avoiding unnecessary medication has also brought down the number of disabilities. All in all, the sisters’ ministry includes prevention, treatment, and cure. We believe in the sayings: “Don’t wait for the right opportunity, create it” (G.B Shaw) and “My Ability is stronger than my Disability.”