Celebrate Father's Day, Helen Keller's Birthday & Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Day this June

June is the month of school reopening. Besides school schedules, we also have to mark our calendars in June for Father's Day Celebration on 20th, SCI Awareness Day on 25th & Helen Keller's Birthday on 27th June.

Father's Day is celebrated on the 3rd Sunday of June in most of the countries. It is a day to not only honour your father, but all men who act as a father figure. Usually, when a child has special needs, the mother is 24x7 present with the child. The father seems to hang around in the background. It is observed that when a father plays an active role in the child's life, the progress is remarkable, the child is more secure & happy. I have come across few Dads who have done wonders for their child with special needs. Their involvement is total. I have the privilege to know Mr. Nagesh Ghadi, Prasad Ghadi's father who always took up night shifts since Prasad's birth to look after him during daytime because Prasad's mother is a teacher in a day school & used to take care of Prasad's needs at night. Prasad had Spinal Muscular Atrophy & needed constant attention & care.

Some of the special Dads have done some pioneering work in the field of disability. We have Dr. Dholakia who has initiated & continues to do great work for the Association of Welfare of Mentally Handicapped (AWMH) & several other committees. Late Mr. Damodar Tilak's book - 'For A Secure Tomorrow' in Finance section stands as a testimony of his lifelong commitment & involvement. We salute to all Dads who take active interest in the life of their child & make their family life complete & enriched.

I visited a wonderful website which shatters the myth of father's being passive, hard & opens a different dimension. The Dads have shared their experiences, their trials & triumphs of rearing their special needs child. Do log on to www.fathersnetwork.org.

June 25th is celebrated as ' Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Day'. Nina Foundation (Founder- Prof.Ketna Mehta) whose vision is to spread optimism & work towards rehabilitation of SCI person, will be presenting their annual 'RockStar Award' to that individual who has shown exemplary courage, renews the spirit of life &. won the battles of life inspite of SCI.

When we talk of winning the battles against all odds, one can not help but remember Helen Keller. June 27th is her birthday. Born in Tuscumbia, Alabama-USA, in 1880, Helen Keller developed a fever at 18 months of age that rendered her blind and deaf. With the help of a miracle teacher, Anne Sullivan, she learned sign language & Braille. Later on in life, she became a tireless advocate for people with disabilities. Helen Keller is the symbol of hope. She is the guiding force to many who are striving to inch ahead in spite of insurmountable odds. She spells the path from impossible to possible. Her words will always inspire & show us the light...

"Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see a shadow."

"One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar."

"When we do the best that we can, we never know what miracle is wrought in our life, or in the life of another."

Celebrate Mothers Day this 8th May

Hi Folks !

We are in the midst of a very warm summer and in the month that warmly celebrates Motherhood and honours Mothers all over the world. This year, we shall celebrate it on 8th May. I humbly dedicate this editorial to all mothers.

MAY is also a happening and busy month for me, with vacations in full swing and parents requesting me for extra coaching/remedial sessions so that their children can make up for the lag. During the course of my teaching sessions I have come across so many wonderful mothers. Childraise takes this opportunity to salute them through this piece.

It is moving to see them struggling & juggling with their daily chores, taking their special chld from one therapy session to another which hardly leaves them with any time for themselves. A mother gives up her independence, freedom, so that her child can be an independent adult. She casts her aspirations and desires aside....yet her child's smallest achievement, development fills her with pride. She is ready to go that extra mile just to see her special one smile.

So true are the following lines written in praise of them:
"The mother-child relationship is paradoxical. It requires the most intense love on the mother's side, yet this very love must help the child grow away from the mother, and to become fully independent".
"A mother is not a person to lean on but a person to make leaning unnecessary...".

Saturday, 2nd April- World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD) & April-Autism Awareness Month... this month we are Lighting It Up BLUE to shine a bright light on Autism.

April 2nd 2011 will mark the Fourth Annual Celebration of 'WAAD' -World Autism Awareness Day ! We want to do our little bit to raise awareness about Autism – a Global Health Crisis. I would like everybody to go through UN Resolution on WAAD ……

On December 18, 2007, the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution 62/139, tabled by the State of Qatar, which declares April 2 as World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD) in perpetuity. Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al-Missned, Consort of His Highness Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, the Emir of the State of Qatar, supported the campaign for a World Autism Awareness Day through the current 62nd UN General Assembly Session, garnering consensus support from all United Nations Member States.

This UN resolution is one of only three official disease-specific United Nations Days and will bring the world's attention to autism, a pervasive disorder that affects tens of millions. The World Autism Awareness Day resolution encourages all Member States to take measures to raise awareness about autism throughout society and to encourage early diagnosis and early intervention. It further expresses deep concern at the prevalence and high rate of autism in children in all regions of the world and the consequent developmental challenges.

World Autism Awareness Day shines a bright light on autism as a growing global health crisis. WAAD activities help to increase and develop world knowledge of the autism epidemic and impart information regarding the importance of early diagnosis and early intervention. Additionally, WAAD celebrates the unique talents and skills of persons with autism and is a day when individuals with autism are warmly welcomed and embraced in community events around the globe.

By bringing together autism organizations all around the world, we will give a voice to the millions of individuals worldwide who are undiagnosed, misunderstood and looking for help. Please join us in our effort to inspire compassion, inclusion and hope. We will be distributing information material on Autism throughout the month. We also invite parents to come & avail the library facility where we have English & Marathi books on Autism.

Celebrating Purple Day on 26th March 2011

ChildRaise Trust : Committed to the Empowerment of Special Children & Disability Issues, will be India Partners  with the Purple Day Organisation to Spread Awareness about Epilepsy on March 26^th 2011 . People from around the globe are  asked to wear purple and spread the word about epilepsy because Lavender/ Purple  is the International Colour for Epilepsy.

Purple Day was  founded in 2008, by nine-year-old Cassidy Megan who has epilepsy herself with the help of the Epilepsy Association of Nova Scotia, Canada.

Epilepsy affects over 50 million people worldwide That's more than multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy and Parkinson's disease combined. Purple Day  is an International grassroots effort dedicated to increasing awareness about epilepsy worldwide.

What is Epilepsy? It is a  tendency to have recurrent Seizures / Convulsions or in layperson's term 'Fits'. it is a short-circuit of  the  brain. It is also called a 'Brainstorm'. Epilepsy can be controlled with Anti-Epileptic medications. It is not a contagious or mental  illness. It is among the most common neurological conditions. But there are lot of myths surrounding epilepsy.There is stigma &  the person feels isolated.

 ChildRaise appeals to YOU  ALL to Join us in the Purple Day to spread Epilepsy Awareness on March 26^th 2011 by wearing Purple & participating in our Purple Events.

Happy New Year !

Before we have realised, 2010 has ended and 2011 is already here. Wish you all a very Happy New Year ! This is the time to make new resolutions, changes and amends. By the way, amendments to the PWD Act are proposed. Time to wait n watch. Will keep you posted. I received a New Year message which conveys the spirit of New Year. Here it is. New Year is the time to unfold new horizons and realize new dreams, to rediscover the strength and faith within you, to rejoice in simple pleasures and gear up for the new challenges. Wishing you a truly fulfilling 2011. And Embark on a fresh start this New Year. May it brings sunshine to your life and embrace you with happiness, love and warmth. Best wishes for a happy New Year.

International Day of Persons with Disabilities - 3rd December 2010

On 3rd December, we are going to observe 'The International Day of Person's with Disabilities.' The International Day of Disabled Persons was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 1992. The annual observance of the Day aims to increase awareness and understanding of disability issues and trends, and to mobilise support for practical action at all levels by, with and for persons with disabilities.

This year's theme is "Keeping the promise: Mainstreaming disability in the Millennium Development Goals(MDG) towards 2015 and beyond". It aims to ensure that disability and the concerns of people with disabilities are included in the commitments. The inclusion of persons with disabilities in all development activities is essential to realizing the MDGs and other development goals. This year's Day will serve as a reminder to governments, global leaders, policy-makers and other stakeholders to keep up their efforts on behalf of disability-inclusive development.

The 13 December 2006 adoption of the Convention by the UN General Assembly reflected an attitudinal change towards people with disabilities. The Convention recognises that persons with disabilities have the same inherent dignity as persons without them, are capable of claiming their rights, and should be participating members of society. As of November 2010, 147 countries have signed the Convention, and 96 have ratified it.(Sources-www.hrea.org, UN Dept of Public Information, UN Enable)

We have made a good start by introducing a path breaking Right to Education (RTE) where in children with special needs are included in the mainstream schools. Hope to see some real affirmative action in other spheres as well.

In the month of December, besides International Day for Persons with Disability, we are also observing Volunteering Month, so are planning a workshop for effective volunteering. So please register your names, be with us.

Let us make both these events meaningful!

I am One in a Hundred .....& want to be the only one so!

This is not a boast but a wish, a commitment made on the occasion of National Epilepsy Day which falls on 17th Nov 2010.The epilepsy statistics say that every one person in a hundred has epilepsy( tendency to have Fits /Seizures ) & this National Day our earnest efforts should be to keep it constant & better still, make it nil. But this statistics will be brought down only by Preventive measures towards Epilepsy & Awareness about them.

Nov 17th is commemmorated as National Epilepsy Day & the entire November month will be dedicated to Epilepsy Awareness. This year, Indian Epilepsy Association (IEA) which is a National Body has decided to focus on 'Women & Child'. IEA has urged all their 27 chapters / branches & neurology depts/organisations to focus their programs on this theme to have a stronger impact.
Children's Day is also celebrated in the month of November.

In India we celebrate November 14 as Children's Day, while 20th November is universally celebrated as Children's Day. In India this day has been preponed to 14th November, the date that marks the birth anniversary of independent India's first Prime Minister – Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.The reason why his birthday has been chosen for the celebration of children is because of his love and passion for children.

So it becomes doubly important that we take extra care in case of children on this Epilepsy Day. My journey in the special education & disability field started with my having epilepsy attacks post childbirth & eventually my joining IEA & Samman- Epilepsy Support Group in Mumbai. In these past 15 years of my association with Samman, I have seen that impact of epilepsy is adverse in childhood & it clouds every aspect of life thereafter. I have witnessed many cases of children with epilepsy going haywire due to lack of resources. In this month all our efforts are to increase Epilepsy Awareness & provide resources that are available for people with epilepsy.Especially to provide educational , psycho-social guidance to children with epilepsy & their parents. Let us all join hands together to bring "Epilepsy Out Of The Shadows!"

For further Information regarding treatment of epilepsy Click here

Global Campaign against Epilepsy: Out of the Shadows Bringing support to epileptic patients

Read NEVER NEVER GIVE UP!

WISH YOU ALL A VERY HAPPY DIWALI & A PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR!!

This year, like every year, ChildRaise had organised a Diwali Exhibition on the 30th and 31st of October 2010, which was a great success. We were successful in creating a lot of awareness on children with special needs. Well-wishers and supporters poured in, providing us with appreciation & encouragements throughout.

On 14th November we will be celebrating Children's Day & on 17th November we will celebrate National Epilepsy Day. Indian Epilepsy Association has appealed to their chapters all over India & other organisations to focus on women and children with epilepsy for a unified effort to raise epilepsy awareness from all corners.

Preparations for festivities were on when we received the sad news of Mr. Damodar Tilak, disability activist, who passed away in Pune, where he used to reside along with his wife & Nandita, fondly called as Nandu (who is mentally challenged) .Mr. Tilak, had worked tirelessly for the welfare of mentally challenged. In financial planning section we have made available his entire book. We, at ChildRaise pray that his soul may rest in peace... 

Editorial - October 2010

Celebrating 'World Sight Day' world wide this 14th October

Every month we focus on a particular issue/cause which is being observed or celebrated during that month.Thus all year around, different disabilities are covered. In October we will be focusing on Visual Impairment & Learning Disability.

This year 14th October (Second Thursday) is observed as 'World Sight Day'.

World Sight Day is an annual day of awareness to focus global attention on blindness, visual impairment and rehabilitation of the visually impaired held on the second Thursday in October.In 2010 it falls on 14th.

World Sight Day is observed around the world by all partners involved in preventing visual impairment or restoring sight. It is also the main advocacy event for the prevention of blindness and for "Vision 2020: The Right to Sight", a global effort to prevent blindness created by WHO and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness.' (Source-WHO) & October 15th is ' White Cane Safety Day'.This day is a national observance in the United States, celebrated on October 15 of each year since 1964. The date is set aside to celebrate the achievements of people who are blind or visually impaired and the important symbol of blindness and tool of independence, the white cane. October is also earmarked as ' Learning Disability Awareness Month'. I am very happy to share that KEM hospital has recently started a full fledged LD Assessment & Certification Centre, thus being the third one besides Sion & Nair hosp which are State run. I am also very happy that KEM hosp. has posted a very detailed information regarding the assessment & certification procedure, which I am reproducing for the benefit of parents. Also reproducing LD related articles, news items.

Instructions for Learning Disability (LD) Certification 

The following will help you to understand the procedure for obtaining LD Certification. Please read the instructions completely. At least one parent or, a guardian who knows the child well, should accompany the student.

1) How to get an appointment for a student's assessment in LD Clinic? 

• On Wednesday or Saturday, meet Dr. Sunil Karande, Professor of Pediatrics & In-Charge, Learning Disability Clinic, in the Pediatric Clinic No. 26, Room No 1, First Floor Multi-Storey (New) Building between 1:30 pm and 3:30 pm. If you enter the hospital through the main gate (no.2) ask for the " New Building " and you will be guided properly. While meeting Dr. Karande, you need to have the referral note from the school (see below); you need NOT make any "case paper/OPD paper" for the pediatric OPD. This will be issued to you during consultation with Dr. Karande.
• The parent should have a referral letter (on school letter head) from the Principal of the school - describing the reasons for the referral. The letter should describe the academic difficulties observed in the child when he/she is reading and writing; his/her problems with spellings, performing mathematical calculations and the behavior of the child in the classroom (normal, hyperactive, inattentive, withdrawn). This information is very important and helpful in diagnosing the cause of the child's poor school performance.
• The parent should bring along - notebooks of any one subject and also of mathematics . This is essential to see the child's handwriting and school work. Please also get along with you - photocopies of the last two report cards. This will help us get an idea of the child's scholastic performance.
• After being assessed by Dr. Sunil Karande in the Pediatric Clinic the child will be given an appointment for assessment in the LD Clinic. The parent will be referred to the LD clinic for taking an appointment for child's assessment. Please do not seek appointment directly from the LD clinic without the student having been evaluated by Dr. Karande.

2) What are the assessments done in the LD clinic? 

The child has to be brought at least three times to the LD Clinic for various assessments as per appointments given.These cannot be combined into a single session as this gets very taxing for the child. The dates of appointments for these testing are given by the Secretary in the LD Clinic and the entire procedure to be followed will be clearly explained by her to each parent. 

• The first appointment is given for child's detailed clinical and neurological examination. (which takes about 30 minutes to be completed).
• The second appointment is for testing the child's intellectual capacity (IQ testing). (which takes about 60-90 minutes to be completed).
• The third appointment is for the educational testing of the child. (which takes about 60-90 minutes to be completed).

In general the accompanying parent would have to take a half-day off from work / other family responsibilities for each of the three appointments.
None of these examinations are painful or inconvenient to the child. The child need not be starving for any of these 'tests'.

3) What other tests are required to be done before certification? 

• Vision testing to be done by an Ophthalmologist (Eye Specialist)
• Hearing testing (Audiometry) to be done from an ENT Specialist

These two tests can be done at KEM Hospital or at any public hospital near the child's residence. They can also be done from a private Ophthalmologist or ENT Specialist - if so desired by parent. Both the vision and hearing testing reports should be recent (done in the past 3 months) to be considered valid.
Any questions you may have about these will be answered at the LD Clinic. 

4) How long does it take for the entire assessment procedure to be completed? 

Generally it takes about three weeks; beginning from the time of the first assessment done in the LD clinic (namely, the child's detailed clinical and neurological examination). The certificate will be issued to the parent(s) after a meeting with the Counselor in the LD Clinic who will explain the child's diagnosis and how to help the child achieve his/her maximum potential.

Contact Information
The Secretary can be contacted for any enquiry from 10 am to 2 pm (Monday to Friday; excluding public holidays) at: telephone number 022-65182624. In case you wish to contact Dr Sunil Karande send an email to sunilkarande@kem.edu . We especially welcome feedback on your experience at the LD clinic. This will help us make the clinic more student and parent friendly. 

Learning Disability Clinic address: 
Pediatric Research Laboratory ( PRL ), 2nd Floor, 
Above Ward 17/18, (Near Ward 1, Department of Pediatrics, KEM Hospital Main building)

Source - Times of India
07 July 2010
Mumbai, India

Tending To The Special Ones 

Students with Learning Disabilities (LD) now have yet another option. The Rajhans Vidyalaya in Andheri (west) opened its LD centre on Tuesday.

Named Samanvaya, meaning integration, the centre was inaugurated by psychologist Anjali Chhabria. Principals from various schools in the city were present at the inauguration ceremony.

"This is our endeavour to reach out to children who need help. The great challenge that schools face today is meeting individual and unique needs of each child," said Deepshikha Srivastava, principal of the school."Samanvaya will take a holistic approach to children with LD and try to bolster the self-esteem of these kids by emphasising their strengths," Srivastava added.

Sudeshna Chatterjee, principal of Jamnabai Narsee School, shared with the audience her experience with LD children."The centre would be a stepping stone towards a better future for kids with LD," said Chatterjee.

"This is not a centre for students with disability, but for those who are differently abled," added Srivastava.

Source - Times of India
09 April 2010
By Anahita Mukherji
Mumbai, India

Booster shot: KEM will be the third civic hospital in city to have a learning disability testing centre

Here's a shot in the arm for kids with Learning Disability (LD), who have for long had to run from pillar to post in search of an LD certificate. KEM Hospital, one of Mumbai's premier institutions, is working towards creating a testing centre for learning disability.

At present, there are only two hospitals with LD testing centres that are recognised by the SSC board—Sion and Nair. Once the KEM centre is in place, the hospital will approach the SSC board for permission to certify LD kids, making it the third such testing centre in Mumbai. KEM, Sion and Nair hospital are all run by the BMC.

"The BMC has taken a policy decision to start an LD centre at KEM, as well as a school for autistic children like the one at Nair Hospital," said Dr Sanjay Oak, dean of KEM hospital.

While welcoming the move, Dr Harish Shetty, president of the Counsellor's Association of India, who has been at the forefront of the country's LD movement, said that over a decade after activism on learning disability began, the number of testing centres for children with LD is abysmally low. "Why only three, there should be 20 LD centres by now in a city like Mumbai. I know of countless cases where students have lost out on a year of studies because of a delay in getting their LD certificates. This has also greatly affected their self esteem. The government needs to take up the matter on a war footing, as proper diagnosis of LD students will greatly improve their mental health," said Shetty.

"An LD testing centre in KEM Hospital is an excellent idea, but we need many more such centres," said advocate Rajeev Kumar, one of the lawyers whose legal battle resulted in Bombay high court's landmark judgment on learning disability. "I feel that certain clinical psychologists should be authorised to test and certify students with LD. This would be better than taking a child to the hospital for LD testing. Entering a hospital convinces LD kids that there is something wrong with them. The scars are difficult to heal," said Kumar.

Source - Indian Express
13 April 2010
By Inal Shah

Though there is an increasing awareness about learning disability in private schools, many civic schools teachers are unable to identify such students. We are trying to screen class X students at the beginning of the year.

IN A first–of–its–kind, doctors from the B Y L Nair Hospital are surveying 10 civic schools to identify class 10 students with learning disability. The idea is to screen students ahead of their board exams. So far, the doctors from the Life Centre for Learning Disability have identified 190 students with learning problems. The project includes BMC schools in Matunga, Dadar, Parabhadevi, Worli and Parel.

"Though there is an increasing awareness about learning disability (LD) in private schools, many civic schools teachers are unable to identify such students. Under this project, we are trying to screen class 10 students at the beginning of the year. The schools have provided lists of academically weaker students to the doctors for screening. Doctors conduct certain tests on the students to identify the ones with the learning disabilities," said Poonam Lalwani, managing trustee of Life Trust, NGO working with BMC schools.

"Psychologists and social workers made teachers aware of the symptoms of learning disability and other related problems. Students once identified will be referred to Nair Hospital LD centre for further assessment," said Dr Henal Shah, associate professor, department of psychiatry at Nair Hospital.

According to Dr Shah, poor awareness among teachers and parents pose a major problem in identifying children with learning disability.

"Under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, doctors at LD centre have trained over 1,500 teachers in the last two years to identify such students. However, this has not helped much. Among the BMC schools, government–aided schools and private run, civic schools are least participating," said Dr Shah.

Since 2007, the Life Centre for Learning Disability at Nair Hospital has issued certificates to 950 children in city schools, both public and private. With only two LD centers in the city – at Sion Hospital and Nair Hospita to certify students, educationalists say there is a need for more centers to reduce the waiting period.

Learning disability (LD) is a lifelong disorder which affects the manner in which individuals with normal or above average intelligence select, retain and express information.

Some of the prominent forms of LD include dyslexia (difficulty in reading and comprehension), dysgraphia (Difficulty in writing) and dyscalculia (difficulty in arithmetic). According to the data, there are over 6,00,000 students appearing for SSC exams every year in India, out of which 5 to 15 percent are dyslexics.

V Volunteer - Pratima Jamalabad- A great homemaker, an animal activist, nature lover wished to do some more with her time. . She is sharing her experiences of Volunteering at our ChildRaise Centre. We urge people to come forward & join /sign up for our V Volunteer Initiative.

Kavita has been both a dear friend and neighbour for the past 20 years. I have always been witness to her involvement in issues relating to epilepsy and aiding children with autism, learning disabilities, in other words with differently abled people. So when I got a chance to volunteer at her Child Raise centre, I decided to give it a try.

So far my teaching abilities were confined to my son and his friends. Nobody in my close circle had an child with autism so I didn't really know what to expect. Would the parents of her students object to my presence there? As it is, I didn't have any qualification that would justify my being there.

However, all apprehensions were laid to rest. On my first visit to the centre I was welcomed by the mothers present there. I was introduced to the students-Michelle, Mukul ..... The first day was spent just in observing the pattern of activities- exercises, reading, vocational training etc. I decided to start reading out to the children and then at a later stage helping them with activities like solving simple arithmetics and English vocabulary.

Initially, I found the going tough. A child with autism does not meet your gaze nor do all of them like to be touched. It was difficult to know if they were listening to my reading out to them as getting an expected response is not possible. By expected response I mean a response a normal child would give like a nod of the head or a smile or an answer.

Kavita & other teacher -Alka was always there to guide me and give me the confidence I so lacked. Little by little, I learned to judge and appreciate their response. I learned to be patient which was a big thing for me as by nature I am an impatient person expecting quick results. I learned to wait until I got an answer, understood their body language and realised that these children have a short attention span.

Since children with autism do not let you know if they have enjoyed an activity or not, it sometimes seemed a hopeless task and I wondered if I was wasting their time as well as mine. But I could soon tell what interested them and what bored them as well as different methods of getting through to them.

My biggest reward was when one day Michelle after our reading session reached out and put her hand over mine. Today, I realise that instead of just me teaching them, I have learned a lot.

Celebrating 'Deaf Awareness Week' world wide this 24th September

September 24th to Sept 30th is celebrated world wide as the 'Deaf Awareness Week'. Next month on October 8th 'World Sight Day' will be observed. September 5th is 'Teacher's Day'. Taking into consideration all these important days, we at ChildRaise would like to chip in with our efforts to create more awareness & understanding about Hearing as well as Visual Impairment and also salute the Miracle Teacher -Annie Sullivan who gave Helen Keller to the world!!

Sullivan was Hellen's great teacher, best friend, philosopher& guide. I do not think one will find any better 'Guru-Shishya' team in modern times. They have taken the teacher disciple relationship to a very great level.Annie Sullivan accompanied Helen for almost 50 years. Without Annie's help Helen would have remained trapped within an isolated and confused world. Helen Keller says of the times before Annie came in to her life-

"I was like that ship before my education began, only I was without compass or sounding line, and no way of knowing how near the harbor was. light! Give me light was the wordless cry of my soul and the light of love shone on me in that very hour.

Helen Keller published 'Teacher' acknowledging Sullivan's contribution to her life. ChildRaise salutes to them. They will always inspire us to make difference in the lives of differently abled who want to be noticed and heard.

In this issue we are launching online Campaign 'FEEL' for deaf blind population by providing compiled resource material, information for them & also to raise awareness in public.

FEEL - Online Campaign to know more about Deaf-Blindness

1) What is Deaf- Blindness-

The federal definition of deaf-blindness is "concomitant hearing and visual impairments, the combination that creates such severe communication and other developmental and educational needs that they cannot be accommodated in special education in programs solely for children with deafness or children with blindness."

What that means is deaf-blindness is a condition in which both a hearing and vision loss are present at the same time. The combined effect of these losses, even if both are mild, creates unique challenges for the individual that cannot be addressed solely within a special education program for the deaf or special education program for the blind.
Source- Mississippi Deaf-Blind Project,The University of Southern Mississippi
Department of Curriculum, Instruction, and Special Education
118 College Drive # 5115,Hattiesburg, MS 39406-0001
Phone: (601) 266-5135 or (800) 264-5135
Fax: (601)266-4978

2) Statistics

It is estimated that there are more than 4, 25,000 deaf-blind children in India.

3) Helpline

18002337913

4) Institutions

Helen Keller Institute for Deaf & Deafblind
Municipal Secondary School , South Wing,Ground Floor,
N. M. Joshi Marg, Near 'S' Bridge,
Byculla (West),Mumbai - 400 011.
Tel: 2308 7052 / 2301 9215 ,
Fax: 2301 8211

THE EDUCATION AND AUDIOLOGY & RESEARCH SOCIETY
Municipal School,2nd floor, Topiwalla Lane,
Off Lamington Road, Mumbai 400 007.
Also at:
#62, Gulmarg, Napean Sea Road,
Malabar Hill, Mumbai -400006
Phone: 022-23691705

Sense International(India)
2nd floor, Admin block,
opp. Indian Institute of Management (IIM),
Vastrapur, Ahmedabad-380015
Phone - 91-79-26301282,
Fax- 91-79-26301590

5) Useful Links

1) Helen keller Archival collection-American foundation for the blind
http://afb.org/info_documents.asp?collectionid=1

In her will, Helen Keller bequeathed her papers and memorabilia to the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB). The Helen Keller Archival Collection contains The Helen Keller Papers, The Helen Keller Artifacts and Memorabilia Collection, The Helen Keller Photograph Collection, and Books from Helen Keller's Library. Of particular interest are Keller's writings on a variety of topics that illustrate her intelligence, her positive disposition, and her passion for worthwhile social issues. For more general information, follow the link to the AFB homepage American Foundation for the Blind (http://www.igc.apc.org/afb) for additional blindness resources.

2) Leraning guide to "Miracle workers"
http://www.teachwithmovies.org/guides/miracle-worker.html

An excellent way to introduce the life of Helen Keller to students is with the 1962 film The Miracle Worker, which relates how Helen Keller's teacher, Anne Sullivan, was able to reach Keller and teach her how to communicate. This site, which recommends the film for children ages ten and up, offers background on the historical context of the film, provides numerous examples of discussion and essay questions, and recommends several books about Helen Keller and the triumph of other individuals over their disabilities.

3) A-Z deaf blindness
http://www.deafblind.com

This very complete Web site is the work of James Gallagher, a citizen of the United Kingdom who is deaf-blind. Here, you will find information about all aspects of deaf-blindness, including the deaf-blind manual alphabet, the various causes of deaf-blindness, contact information for various support organizations, and dates and times for conferences. Gallagher also includes information on deafness, including the two-handed manual alphabet commonly used by sighted deaf people in the U.K., the cochlear implant, and a description of American Sign Language. Some of the topics related to blindness include information on guide dogs and a comparison of Braille and Moon-a lesser-known alternate reading method for the blind. Of particular interest are the sections that discuss various technological devices that aid deaf-blind people in utilizing computers, telephones, and fax machines.

4) Deaf blind children homepage
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Meadows/5939/index.html

This site contains several stories, written by parents of deaf-blind children, illustrating the wide range of causes, degrees of impairment, and coping strategies that surround the issue of deaf-blindness.

6) Additional Resources

Articles and video Clips
:: Google: MSNBC Peter Alexander and Sister Deaf-Blind
:: Google: Tampa Bay Superwoman Deaf-Blind
:: Google: Deaf-Blind Triplets Texas
:: Google: Six Friends Deaf-Blind
:: Google: Deaf-Blind Poetry
:: Google: Deaf-Blind Artists
:: Google: Deaf-Blind Performers: Deaf-Blind Theatre and Jag Einhorn (FL)
:: Google: Deaf-Blind Athletes

7) Inspiring Lives

The life of Helen Keller
http://www.hki.org/helen.html

Check this site for a complete, yet concise, biographical sketch of Helen Keller.

Life of Anne Sullivan
Born - April 14, 1866
Feeding Hills, Massachusetts
Died - October 20, 1936 (aged 70)
Queens, New York, New York Spouse(s) John Albert Macy
(1905-1932)

Anne Sullivan was the oldest of five children, born in Feeding Hills, a subsection of the town of Agawam, Massachusetts. Her parents, Thomas and Alice Sullivan, were impoverished cooks who left Ireland in 1847 during the Potato Famine. Her mother suffered from tuberculosis and died when Anne was eight years old. Her father was an alcoholic farm hand who abandoned his three surviving children after his wife died. Although her sister Mary was sent to live with an aunt, when Annie was ten, she and her brother Jimmie moved in with other relatives, who later sent the two siblings to the Tewksbury Almshouse (today Tewksbury Hospital).Annie spent her time there with Jimmie, in hopes that they would not be separated; however, his condition resulting from a tubercular hip weakened him and he died three months later.

When Anne Sullivan was three she began having trouble with her eyesight as a result of the eye disease trachoma,a bacterial infection that often causes blindness by scarring. Sullivan underwent a long string of surgeries. Doctors in Tewksbury had made a few vain attempts to clean her eyelids. Later, Father Barbara, the chaplain of the nearest hospital, took it upon himself to arrange a procedure. This operation failed to correct her vision. Still more attempts were made. Father Barbara took her to the Boston City Infirmary (today Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary) this time, where she had two more operations. Even after this attempt her vision remained blurry. Sullivan returned to Tewksbury, against her will. After four years there, in 1880, she entered the Perkins Institution and Massachusetts School for the Blind in Boston, where she underwent surgery in 1881 and regained some of her sight. After the improvement of her eyesight, and graduating as class valedictorian in 1886, Michael Anaganos, the school's director, encouraged her to become a teacher for Helen Kellerand she received special training to do this. In 1887, Sullivan had an additional surgery which restored more of her vision.

Sullivan with an 8-year-old Keller while vacationing at Cape Cod in July 1888

When Helen was six years old, in 1887, Anne moved in and acting as her governess started teaching her. Sullivan began by teaching Helen Keller nouns using the sign language alphabet signed into Keller's palm that had been developed by Spanish monks in medieval times. After its adoption by French educators, it was adapted by British and American educators including the founder of the Perkins Institution, Samuel Gridley Howe

On May 2, 1905, Sullivan married a Harvard University instructor and literary critic, John Albert Macy (1877-1932), eleven years her junior, who had helped Keller with her publications. The three lived together. However, within a few years, their marriage began to disintegrate. By 1914 they had separated, though they never officially divorced. In the early years after their separation, John Macy wrote and asked for money; however, as the years progressed he appears to have faded from her life.

Sullivan Macy and Keller were lifelong companions who lived, worked, and traveled together. In 1932 they were each awarded honorary fellowships from the Educational Institute of Scotland. They also were awarded honorary degrees from Temple University. By 1935, Sullivan Macy became completely blind. She died after a coma at age 70, with Keller holding her hand. When Keller herself died in 1968, her ashes were placed in the Washington National Cathedral next to Anne's.

Source - wikipedia