SRINAGAR: Directorate of Samagra Shiksha, J&K in collaboration with Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India (ALIMCO) is all set to organize aid and appliances distribution camps for Children with Special Needs (CWSN) in all districts across Jammu and Kashmir.
The first such distribution camp was inaugurated by the Project Director Samagra Shiksha, Deep Raj at Govt. HSS Kothibagh, in the presence of Chief Education Officer, Srinagar Shabir Hussain, Principal, Nusrat Bukhari, and other officers of the department as well as staff of the institution.
Speaking on the occasion, the Project Director said that to ensure equitable and inclusive education in line with the NEP, 2020, Samagra Shiksha under the aegis of the School Education Department, is working tirelessly for providing quality education to children with special needs. He highlighted that 21000 CWSNs have been identified, out of which 18660 students have been enrolled in various schools across the UT.
The Project Director further said that during the year 2022-23, 188 Camps were organized in various Districts, to identify those Children, who are in need of aid and appliances for making their life easy to some extent. He remarked that 4990 CWSN will be empowered with different aids and appliances and the distribution has been started in five districts of Kashmir Division (Anantnag, Budgam, Ganderbal, Kulgam, and Srinagar and in the remaining five districts the same will be started by tomorrow.
The Project Director added that in Jammu Division, the distribution camps shall be organized from the 2nd of August up to the 14th of August, 2023.
While interacting with the CWSN, Project Director Samagra Shikha said that the Directorate every year provides Rs. 1.70 Crores to CWSN as a stipend besides braille books, free uniforms, and free textbooks are also provided to the children in various schools across the UT.
He remarked that School Education Department will always stand with the CWSN for which necessary upgradation of infrastructure like ramps and CWSN-friendly toilets are made available in various schools, adding that more than 400 CWSN toilets have been constructed besides 44 resource rooms have been made functional.
The Project Director appreciated the efforts of the State Coordinator Vijay Sharma, Chief Education Officer, Principal GHSS Kothibagh, Assistant Coordinator, Special Educators/ Resource Persons, and representatives from ALIMCO Foundation, who are working for the welfare of CWSN. He assured every possible assistance by the Directorate of Samagra Shikha to these children.
During the first day of the event, 70 differently abled children were provided relevant aids and appliances as per need already assessed by a team of professionals and experts from ALIMCO in the previously organized assessment camps.
The aids and appliances include Tricycle conventional, wheelchairs folding (Child Size), Wheel Chairs folding (Adult Size), CP Chairs, MR kits, Digital type hearing aids, Brail kits, Sugumya cane, Daisy player, Crutch elbow adjustable, Rollators size 1 and 2, AFO II and III, KAFO I and II and other appliances for visually impaired students.
