CHIMPU, 9 Sep: RK Mission Hospital secretary Swami Kripakarananda distributed aids and appliances to 141 differently-abled persons, including students of the Donyi Polo Mission School for the Hearing and Visually Impaired (DPMSHVI), here on Saturday.
Aids and appliances like digital hearing aids for the hearing impaired, Android tablets, Braille kits, SmartCanes for the visually impaired, and teaching and learning materials for the children with intellectual impairment were distributed free of cost under the ADIP scheme of Chennai (TN)-based National Institute for Empowerment of Persons with Multiple Disabilities (NIEPMD).
A team of the NIEPMD had conducted an assessment and diagnosis camp in this regard in April.
Kripakarananda lauded “the noble role of the DPM School for extending education, training and rehabilitation of children with hearing, visual and intellectual impairment in a constructive way, so as to make the differently-abled children lead productive lives with self-respect and dignity.”
He said that “all possible opportunities and facilities should be provided to the differently-abled children,” and added that “it’s a matter of pride that the passed out hearing and visually impaired students from this school are serving in government departments in various capacities and have been pursuing higher education.”
Kripakarananda expressed gratitude to the school’s founder chairman, former chief minister Gegong Apang, “who gave a ray of hope in the life of such children with his noble deeds.”
The school’s vice chairman Dr Okeng Apang thanked the NIEPMD for its initiative, besides the state government and the SJETA department “for their support in strengthening the school’s authority to extend a better service to the children with special needs.”
NIEPMD camp coordinator M Hari informed that NIEPMD Director Dr Nachiketa Rout, along with ADIP nodal officer Dr Santhosh Kanna and NIEPMD co-nodal officer Devandra Prasas “are planning to conduct screening, diagnosis and awareness camps in every district of the state in phases, in collaboration with the DPMSHVI.
DPMSHVI principal H Sharma stressed on the need for developing the school’s infrastructure in terms of new classrooms and hostel blocks, owing to the gradual increase of roll strength, and appealed to the chief minister to “take initiation in the larger interest of the differently-abled children of the state as the institution does not charge any fee or donation of any sort from the students.”
The children of Asha Sacred School for Special Children also received teaching and learning materials, the DPMSHVI informed in a release.
