The Hindu : Front Page : To help them climb up independently

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Oct 21, 2005

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To help them climb up independently

Shastry V Mallady

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MADURAI: The ordeal of making it to the classrooms each day will soon come to an end for over 1,000 physically challenged students of government schools in the Madurai district.

For, those students with orthopaedic defects need no longer climb steps as the schools are getting ramps and rails.

Thanks to the initiative made by the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), 100 schools in district were sanctioned funds to construct ramp and rail facilities so that the differently-abled coming to schools on tricycles and using crutches could get to their classrooms easily.

As a first step, the School Education Department and the SSA authorities identified the schools and it was decided that those with the highest number of physically challenged students will be given priority. Each school has been sanctioned Rs.5,000 and the work will begin soon.

"Ramps near the classrooms will make a lot of difference. It facilitates easy entry and reduces the hardships of the handicapped students," says K. Sridevi, Chief Educational Officer and SSA's District Programme Coordinator. The construction would conform to the design specified by the Government and the children need not depend on others to get into the classes. They can hold and easily move up, Ms. Sridevi says. The department has already received the SSA funds.

According to the Assistant District Programme Coordinator, M. Masanam, the work is expected to be completed in a month's time. The 100 schools being covered include government, Adi Dravidar and Kallar schools.

The department has also organised special camps for physically and mentally challenged students through the doctors of the Government Rajaji Hospital and Usilampatti Government Headquarters Hospital to find the extent of disability and to think about what could be done for them.

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