Children with Special Needs deserve respect & opportunities: Gov

my uttarakhand news Bureau
Dehradun, 29 Sep: Inaugurating the “Mapping Campaign for Children Affected by Specific Learning Disabilities (Dyslexia) and Autism” at ITITI Doon Sanskriti School in Jhajra on Tuesday, Governor Lt General Gurmit Singh (Retd) said that children with special needs require not pity, but respect, support and opportunities to move forward according to their abilities.
The Governor said that a child’s difficulties must not be viewed as shortcomings, but understood as special needs. “Do not make a child’s difficulty their identity; make their abilities their identity,” he said, calling for the creation of an inclusive, sensitive and opportunity-rich Uttarakhand.
The Governor added that the objective of the mapping campaign should be to identify every child at the earliest possible stage and provide appropriate counselling, expert assistance and necessary resources. He said that the 21st century is the century of technology, and these technologies can be used to provide support and create numerous opportunities for children with disabilities.
He said that a strong support system for children with special needs can be developed only through coordinated efforts by families, schools, experts and the administration. He stressed the need to ensure timely access to specialised services for children living in mountainous and remote areas as well.
The Governor appreciated the efforts of former Member of Parliament and President of the Dyslexia Society Uttarakhand, Tarun Vijay, over the past nearly 25 years to provide education and opportunities to tribal children in the Himalayan and northern regions of the country. He said that establishing a school for such children is an important contribution towards service, compassion and nation-building.
Education Minister Dr Dhan Singh Rawat said that 200 teachers have been appointed in schools across the state for children with disabilities. Describing this as an important step towards inclusive education, he said that teachers can identify the abilities of children and provide a new direction to their development. He said that several significant reforms have been undertaken in the field of education under the guidance of the Governor.
Tarun Vijay said that extensive efforts are required in the state for the identification, education, treatment and rehabilitation of children with disabilities. He expressed his resolve to take the campaign to every child in need across the state.
During the programme, senior expert at NIEPVD, Dr Surendra Dhalwal shared important insights related to the identification, education and support of children with special needs. Shivani Kotnala expressed gratitude to all the guests, experts, teachers, parents and supporters. Teachers and students from various schools were also present on the occasion.