India: Education for All ?

Today in Govindpuri, an urban slum nestled among the wealthy residential neighbourhoods of south Delhi, twelve-year-old Sadam sits naked in a plastic chair. He has spent most of his life here, trapped within the blue walls of this two-room shack, a cramped and windowless house that he shares with his mother, father and nine brothers and sisters.

Sadam was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy when he was five years old. 'Then there was hope' says his mother, Nazma who was told there was a chance that her son would walk and could 'do something with his life'. But with a family of twelve living on less than £4 a day Nazma could not access the support and education that her son needed and hope quickly faded.

Seventy percent of disabled children in Delhi have never even been to a rehab centre. Sadam is one of the luckier ones. On diagnosis he was referred to Astha, an NGO that provides outreach support to disabled children in Govindpuri. Outreach care-worker Seema Gurung has been visiting his home for seven years. Before working with Astha Sadam lay prostrate all day, now he has had an operation on his back and therapy that has given him increased muscle-control and the ability to sit. Those who have worked with him acknowledge Sadam's potential for much more. With their support, Nazma has lobbied a local school to enrol her son, demanding the educational support he needs to become part of the community.

In 2005 the Government of India declared that every child from 6-14 has the right to 'Free and Compulsory Education'. In August 2009 that right was enshrined in the constitution. To implement the act the government runs a scheme called Savva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), 'Education for All'. The initiative is working to ensure the inclusion of every child in formalised schooling. SSA is partly funded by the World Bank, EU and DfID and is working to prepare the education system to accept any child regardless of gender, income, caste or disability. SSA is pushing for a more inclusive child-centred curriculum that breaks away from the blackboard and textbook tradition of Indian schools. It provides 3,000 Rupees (£44) per child per year for support services and advocates a 'zero rejection policy'.

But the reality of inclusion is light-years away for families like Sadam's. Many factors complicate the problem for India's poorest. When Nazma approached her local school the principle told her that if Sadam were to attend she would have to sit with him all day. With nine other children to look after this is impossible. Several teachers asked, 'what is the point of bringing Sadam to school? He will just sit here'. The idea that he has the potential to learn and contribute is alien to this society.

The problem also lies deeper within the community. In the beginning Sadam's father brought him to the Astha centre every day. After a week he could communicate with his carers and was learning quickly. But soon after he stopped showing up. When questioned on this Nazma gestures to her back, too weak to carry a twelve-year-old boy half a mile to the centre. His father has fallen victim to drug abuse, which is rife in Govindpuri and he no longer helps. Like many parents of the disabled in India, Nazma finds it easier to keep her son within the safe and loving confines of her home. 'People don't like my family because of my son', she says and repeats the word 'nafrat'-hatred. Social stigmas label families of the disabled unlucky and isolate them, making it hard for siblings to work and to marry within the community.

This is why Education for All is so important for India. 'Where do you see the disabled child?' asks Poonam Natarajan, head of the National Trust, a government body that promotes the rights of the mentally disabled. 'Do you see them in the park, in the public schools? No. That is where the stigma lies. Nobody knows how to deal with them, how to work with them, how to be friends with them.' In 1985 Poonam started Vidya Sagar, an education centre for children and adults with special needs in Chennai, southern India. Vidya Sagar now works with 1,500 children with disabilities all over the city. She is convinced that mainstream education is possible for all.

On an adjacent block to Sadam lives Mohan, an eleven-year-old boy who is more than duly excited about starting school this year. Mohan was diagnosed with unspecific mental disability when he was five and has been working with different NGO's for the past four years. Now he goes to an informal NGO-run education centre in the slum. He has learnt to read and write in preparation for his next year at government school. His father is very proud. 'I have worked very hard to achieve this and now because of Astha my son is going to school'.

However, putting mentally disabled children in mainstream schools is a divisive issue even within a disability sector that, for the most part, works together. Merry Barua is founder of Action for Autism an NGO that works with 25,000 people in Delhi. She is worried about the effect of compulsory education. She believes it encourages special needs schools- that don't follow a recognised curriculum- to close down, pushing children with high support needs back into the isolation of their homes.

Attitudes on inclusion also vary geographically. Some of the southern states like Tamil Nadu, where Chennai is, have achieved much greater strides in inclusive education claiming 98 percent enrolment. Complicated issues arise in each state but in the poorer south more progressive government and stronger civil-state partnerships have increased the efficacy of NGO's working with disability.

The rebirth in India's primary education system will drive development forward. The battle against exclusion of disabled children must be achieved as part of this movement and facilities for educating children with severe disabilities must be an intrinsic part of the system from the beginning. India has to avoid leaving children like Sadam behind and it has far to go.

Last week, two government officials visited Govindpuri to survey the neighbourhood. The slum is to be demolished to prepare Delhi for the Commonwealth Games in September. After living here for nineteen years the family will be forced out to Nazma's village eighteen hours from Delhi. In rural areas less than 1% of disabled children are enrolled in schools.

'How will Sadam access support there?' asks Seema. Nazma shrugs helplessly, 'I don't know.'

This feature was written between 6 March and 30 April 2010 as part of the Guardian International Development Journalism Competition

Disability not a disadvantage in the workplace

By Andrea Riddell, 1 June 2010

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When looking to fill vacant positions, businesses want to hire the best possible candidate. Often this means that people with disability are overlooked in favour of those who may appear to be more fit and able. Stereotypical but erroneous beliefs can mean employers miss out on a valuable pool of resources and experience – especially when you consider that one in five Australians has a disability.

Basic assumptions are made – often unconsciously – about what a person with disability can or cannot do. However, research has shown that there is little difference in the productivity between people with disability and those without.

The benefits

There are many benefits in choosing to hire people with disability. The Australian Network on Disability (AND), an organisation that promotes the inclusion of people with disability in all aspects of business, encourages employers to tap in to the diverse range of skills, experiences and abilities of people with disability to gain new perspectives.

‘Organisations that understand the impact of disability on their customers will reach a wider market. Businesses that fail to make their products and services accessible to people with disability, or don’t build their expertise in welcoming customers with disability, risk missing out on a great deal of business,’ says AND spokesperson Rachel Butler.

Hiring people with disability also helps businesses to embrace their corporate social responsibility (CSR), promote a diverse workplace and raise team morale.

Safeway in Rosebud West, Victoria, is one of the many businesses leading by example and hiring people with disability through Disability WORKS Australia (DWA), an organisation that helps to find placements for people with disability.

Assistant store manager Simone Blake says, ‘We wanted to help someone with a disability in our local community. Employing somebody with a disability gives the whole team a lift and helps to positively change the store culture.’

Apart from enhancing the reputation and brand of the business, employing people with disability can also have long-term fiscal benefits. According to a Safe Work Australia study, workers with disability have lower rates of absenteeism, a lower number of workplace injury and, as a result, lower workers’ compensation costs than people without disability.

AND has also stated that people with disability tend to stay loyal and committed to their employer and show higher retention rates than employees without disability. Increased tenure reduces the costs of training and integrating new staff into the business.

‘By accommodating people with disability organisations are gaining loyal and committed employees who will support them in achieving their business objectives,’ says Butler.

It’s easier than you think

Common misconceptions are the biggest barrier that people with disability battle in attempting to gain employment. Employers often believe that the costs associated with hiring people with disability are high. More often than not only simple adjustments are required to make the business disability-friendly.

‘Many adjustments are cost-neutral while research has identified that where costs are incurred, around 80 per cent of those adjustments are under $500,’ says Butler.

Research has even shown that many employers believe the benefits of hiring people with disability outweigh any associated costs. In some cases no adjustments need to be made at all. Disability can come in all shapes and forms and while some disabilities may be obvious to the naked eye, many others are more discreet.

Another method of creating opportunities for people with disability includes job splitting or carving. This involves breaking off certain tasks from other positions that are hard to fill to create new roles for people with disability.

Holden Hill Police Station, South Australia, turned to DWA when they couldn’t find a permanent employee with transcript typing skills willing to perform the repetitive tasks of the position.

Administration manager Doris Andrew hired Sonja Veitinger, who was referred to her by DWA. Veitinger’s vision impairment meant that she could not fill the administration role so Andrew split the task of transcript typing from the general role and employed Veitinger on a part-time basis.

‘By being creative with the role we’re getting retention in this job, providing a solution to one area of skill shortage and proving to be more cost-effective,’ says Andrew.

Veitinger required computer program JAWS and a dual headset to transcribe the police tapes and the police station conducted an assessment of the workplace to identify and make any adjustments.

‘By investing in the right person you will reap the benefits. There is room in generic jobs to carve duties and provide opportunities for people with a disability as well as assisting businesses with areas of skill shortages,’ says Andrew.

Recruiting

There are many organisations dedicated to helping employers recruit people with disability. These organisations can help you to make any necessary adjustments to the workplace and can provide ongoing support.

The Australian Network on Disability (AND) is a not-for-profit organisation that promotes the employment of people with disability. AND works with employers to help them become ‘disability confident’ and engage with people with disability as stakeholders, employees and customers. 

Disability WORKS Australia (DWA) is a national body that facilitates the provision of employment for people with disability. DWA is a point of contact for employers looking to recruit people with disability. You can alert them of any job vacancies you have and they will match the position to an appropriate worker with disability.

With long-term benefits not only to the business but also to society and the economy, hiring people with disability is an investment in the future.

The Importance of Community

By: Sandy Lahmann

Is there a disability community?

Some people have told me they don't think so. But oh, yes, there is. It's fragmented, but it's there.

No, there's no disability community in which people who use wheelchairs, people who are blind, people who are deaf, and people who have traumatic brain injury, etc., etc., all join together for common goals.

The disability community is fragmented but people who have similar disabilities can be found gathering together at every opportunity. The Deaf community is it's own culture, a culture rich in it's own traditions and values.

I'm a member of the adaptive sports community, in which athletes with disabilities gather together to ski, bike, play basketball, etc., in our own unique ways. And everywhere there are support groups, where people with specific types of disabilities gather together to encourage each other, support each other and offer wisdom.

Adults with disabilities always find each other. We need each other, so we find each other.

When kids have disabilities, the focus is on inclusion, that they are given the opportunity to learn with their non-disabled peers. This is important because as adults we are always working and interacting with our non-disabled peers and we want the same opportunities they have. So inclusion is important, but can it be carried too far?

There is danger in isolating children with disabilities from their peers with similar disabilities. They need each other. Let me explain.

When a person with a disability, child or adult, is interacting with their non-disabled peers, it is always a performance. Their non-disabled peers are generally looking to see if the person with the disability can do “it.” Can she open the door by herself? Can he push his wheelchair up the hill? Can she pass that test? Can he manage his job adequately? Their non-disabled peers often assume the person with a disability will not be able to do many things, so they are frequently wondering, “Can he or she do it?”

Then the person with the disability is often in the position of having to prove they can do it, whatever it is. God forbid we stumble. God forbid we hesitate. If we hesitate they will think we can't do it. This is a performance. We are being watched, so do it well and do it quickly. (And please don't let me start spasming while I'm doing it!)

This can be exhausting.

So I am always eager to join my disability community, which is the adaptive sport community. Finally, a break from the performance. I don't have to prove myself here. I can just be me because all my friends with disabilities already know I'm a capable, worthwhile, wonderful person, even if I stumble, hesitate or fall flat on my face.

My friends with disabilities similar to my own get it. They understand me and the world we all must deal with. Big sigh of relief. So I can go ahead and play wheelchair basketball and it doesn't matter if I make the basket or not. And it doesn't matter to my friends if I start spasming or not. Some of them are spasming as well. I'm home.

So when we raise children with disabilities, make sure there are plenty of opportunities for inclusion, because they need the same opportunities as every other kid. However, don't forget to give our children with disabilities the chance to be around each other, because they will encourage each other and support each other. And only then will our children breathe freely.

Yes, there is a disability community. It's alive and well and critically important.