EDUCATION OF THE DIFFERENTIALLY-ABLED – A HISTORICAL OVERVIEW

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EDUCATION OF THE DIFFERENTIALLY-ABLED – A HISTORICAL OVERVIEW
Dr. Baiju.K.Nath
Assistant Professor, Dept. of Education
University of Calicut, Kerala
baijueducation@gmail.com
and
Dileesh.K.
M.Ed. Student (2014 - 15)
Dept. of Education, University of Calicut, Kerala
Key Terms: Differentially-able, special education, Children with special needs

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Abstract
Persons with differential abilities were treated as those should be excluded from the main
stream is a practice in the traditional period. As time progresses, response of the society
towards people need special attention gradually changed. There are citations in great epic
Mahabharatha, that a visually challenged person ruled the country. It was, however, only in
the second half of Eighteen Century that the concepts of education for the differentially-
abled took their root. The liberal, socialistic ideas sweeping across the western hemisphere,
France and United States of America in particular, provided the inspiration to political and
social reformers and experts in medicine and education to focus on the children with special
educational needs. In India, the first school for the deaf was set up at Bombay in 1883 and
the first school for the blind at Amritsar in 1887. There are over 3200 such special schools
today run mostly by non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
Introduction
In pre-historic and primitive ages, the differentially-abled were treated with contempt.
In those times, when physical abilities counted most for day-to-day living, such persons
were generally victims of lack of proper care and concern. Frampton and Gall (1955)
observed that while there was no conclusive evidence, but exclusion of the differentially-
abled was a universal practice in the ancient world, it was claimed that handicapped
individuals were not being given due attention.
As social conscience developed, these practices yielded place to attitudes of
compassion and desire for remedial measures. All great religions preached compassion for
the differentially-abled. In ancient India too, the society was required to treat the

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differentially-abled with compassion and sympathy. Though, under the influence of
religious prescriptions, persons with disabilities were, thus, treated in a more humane
fashion right through the Middle Ages, it was only after 1500A.D. that real progress has
been made in the care and education of the exceptional children. The process of changing
was initiated by scientific and medical research that showed the way towards the solution of
the problems posed by disabilities.
It was, however, only in the second half of Eighteen Century that the concepts of
education for the differentially-abled took their root. The liberal, socialistic ideas sweeping
across the western hemisphere, France and United States of America in particular, provided
the inspiration to political and social reformers and experts in medicine and education to
focus on the children with special educational needs.
In France, the year 1785 witnessed the first school for the blind started by Valentine
Huay in Paris. Father D’Lepse developed an early version of manual alphabet using finger
spelling for the deaf. The case study of ‘The Wild Boy of Aveyron’ by Jean Marc Gaspard
Itarde, a French physician, was pioneering work in the field of education for the mentally
retarded. In Germany, Samuel Heinicke developed an oral method of instruction for the deaf
children.
In the United States of America, the first permanent school for the deaf was set up in
1817 at Hartford. The year 1829, in which Louis Braille developed the system of raised
point alphabet using six dots arranged in two parallel rows of three dots each, was a
landmark in the education of the blind.
The first residential school institute for people with mental retardation was founded
Samuel Gridley Howe in Boston, Massachusetts in the year 1848. In 1869, the US Patents

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Office registered the first wheel chair patent.
In India, the first school for the deaf was set up at Bombay in 1883 and the first
school for the blind at Amritsar in 1887. There are over 3200 such special schools today run
mostly by non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
The post Second World War years witnessed, under the influence and guidance of the
United Nations, a rapid transformation in the humanity’s approach towards the persons with
disabilities and their education-from ‘one of charity’ to an ‘issue in human rights’. The
Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), The Convention (No.159) on Vocational
Rehabilitation and Employment of the International Labour Organisation (1983), The
Declaration of 1981 as the International Year of the differentially-abled, The Declaration of
the Rights of Mentally Retarded Persons (1971), The World Programme of Action
Concerning differentially-abled Persons (1982) and the declaration of the decade 1983-92 as
the ‘Decade of differentially-abled Persons’ were landmark intentional events in this
process.
International action concerning the differentially-abled got accelerated during 1990’s.
In 1992, United Nations adopted a resolution declaring 3rdDecember of each year as
International Day of differentially-abled Persons. The objective was to promote awareness
and understanding of issues relating to differentially-abled persons and to mobilize support
for practical action. In 1993, the UN General Assembly adopted “Standard Rules on the
Equalisation of Opportunities for Person with Disabilities”.
Encouraged and assisted by the activities of the international bodies, a number of
initiatives were taken by the national governments in a number of countries to promote the
rights and economic and social development and education of the differentially-abled.

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Australia was one of the first states to adopt a system of integrated education in
normal schools in the early 1970’s and is currently actively implementing inclusive
practices in schools.
In India, the National Policy for Persons with Disabilities was adopted in 1993. It
emphasized the need for mainstreaming of the persons with disabilities in the general
education system through Inclusive Education. Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (SSA) i.e. education
for all, was launched by the central government with the goal of ensuring eight years of
elementary schooling for all children, including children with disabilities, in the age group
of 6 to 14 years by 2010.
The Person With Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full
Participation) Act, 1995, commonly known as the PWD Act, provides for the following in
the area of education
Every child with disability shall have the right to free education till the age of 18.
Appropriate transportation, removal of architectural barriers and restructuring of curriculum
and modification in the examination system.
Children with disabilities shall have the right to scholarships, uniforms, free books and
learning materials.
Special schools for children with disabilities will be equipped with vocational training
facilities.
Non-formal education shall be promoted for children with disabilities.
The Integrated Education for Disabled Children (IEDC) Scheme, which has
been in operation since 1970s, provides for free education of children with disabilities in
the age group 15-18 years.

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The Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) and A World Fit For Children
(2002).
The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) (1989)14 was the first treaty
developed specifically to uphold the rights of children. Ratified by more states than any
other convention, it was followed a little more than a decade later by the United Nations
General Assembly’s Special Session on Children (2002). “A World Fit for Children”, the
outcome document, extended and expanded the rights covered in the Convention on the
Rights of the Child, with increased concern for the specific rights of a wide range of
minority groups, including children with disabilities. Articles1 and 2 of the Convention state
that all rights apply “to every human being” under the age of 18.
Article 3: “Leave no child behind”, each girl and boy is born free and equal in dignity
and rights; therefore all forms of discrimination affecting children must end.
Article 20: “Discrimination gives rise to a self-perpetuating cycle of social and
economic exclusion and undermines children’s ability to develop to the fullest potential. We
will make every effort to eliminate discrimination against children whether rooted in the
child’s or his or her parent’s or legal guardian’s race, colour, sex, language, religion,
political or other opinion, national, ethnic or social origin, property, disability, birth or other
status.”
Article 21: “We will take all measures to ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all
human rights and fundamental freedoms, including equal access to health, education, and
recreational services, by children with disabilities and children with special needs; to ensure
the recognition of their dignity; to promote their self-reliance; and to facilitate their active
participation in the community.”

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Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full
Participation) Act, 1995
The Govt. of India notified a Comprehensive Education Scheme for Disabled
Children in compliance to Section 30 of the Disabilities Act 1995 in the year 2004. Section
30 of the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full
Participation) Act, 1995 stipulates the following:-
“30. Without prejudice to the foregoing provisions, the appropriate Governments shall by
notification prepare a comprehensive education scheme which shall make provision for-
(a) Transport facilities to the children with disabilities or in the alternative financial
incentive to parents or guardians to enable their children with disabilities to attend schools;
(b) The removal of architectural barriers from schools, colleges or other institution
imparting vocational and professional training.
(c) The supply of books, uniforms and other materials to children with disabilities attending
school;
(d) The grant of scholarships to students with disabilities
(e) Setting up of appropriate for the redressal of grievances of parents regarding the
placement of their children with disabilities.
(f) Suitable modification in the examination system to eliminate purely mathematical
questions for the benefit of blind students and students with low vision.
(g) Restructuring of curriculum for the benefit of children with disabilities; restructuring the
curriculum for benefit of students with hearing impairment to facilitate them to take only
one language as part of their curriculum.”
In order to effectively implement provisions of section 30 of the Act through

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convergence of various schemes/activities by the Government organization/ autonomous
bodies, the following guidelines are issued:
(a) Transport facility to the children with disability or in the alternative financial incentives
to parents or guardians to enable their children with disabilities to attend schools:
(i) The schools providing transport facilities to their children should ensure that the children
with disabilities also get the facility of transport suitable to their requirements. This would
mean availability of facilities so that wheelchair users have access to the transport and the
children with other disabilities provided necessary assistance to utilize the services.
(ii) The schools, which are not providing transport facility to their children, should establish
a system by hiring/arranging transport vehicles to suit the requirement of children with
disabilities studying in their schools.
(iii) In case it is not possible to arrange for the transport facility for the children with
disabilities, necessary arrangements may be made with the help of parents of the children
with disabilities through formation of an association, self-help groups and citizen welfare
groups.
Some of the existing schemes of the Government provide for a component for arranging
transport for children with disabilities. There should be utilized.
(b) Removal of Architectural barriers from schools, colleges or other institutions imparting
vocational and professional training.
(i) All new school buildings being constructed should provide for barrier free features such
as ramps, handrails and other facilities as laid down in the guidelines for differentially-abled
and elderly persons issued by Central Public Works Department (CPWD) in the Ministry of
Urban Affairs and Employment, Government of India. These guidelines set out standards for

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providing barrier-free access in built environment.
(ii) All the existing schools should also modify their school buildings in such a manner that
they become barrier-free.
(iii) The creation of barrier-free environment including provision of ramps etc. should be
done using locally available material and appropriate technology suitable and available in
the area.
(iv) The structural designing/modification should be done under the guidance of qualified
civil engineers.
(v) The funds available in various programmes/schemes including SSA, IEDC etc. should
be utilized for the purpose.
(c) Supply of Books, Uniforms and other materials to children with disabilities attending
school.
(i) To encourage children with disabilities to attend schools regularly, they should be
provided with free textbooks.
(ii) The IEDC scheme has a provision for grant-in-aid for incurring expenditure on books
and stationery up to Rs. 400/- per annum per child with disabilities. This should be utilized.
(iii) Children with disabilities should also be provided with uniforms and other materials, if
these are provided to other children free of cost.
(iv) The children with disabilities should be provided with teaching/learning aids such as (i)
for visually differentially-abled children – braille books, talking books, mathematics kits,
science kits, sensory training kits, canes for mobility, text to speech software and computer
hardware having Braille key board etc.
(ii) for hearing differentially-abled – clinical audio meter, portable audio meter, speech

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trainer, micrometer for ear-mold making for speech and hearing impaired, speech
recognition software and other relevant equipment.
(d) Grant of scholarships to students with disabilities.
(i) Scholarships to fund the cost of education are provided to children with disabilities on
the basis of merit.
(ii) Scholarships may be given in monetary form to students with disabilities directly or to
the schools as underwritten cost.
(iii) List of students with disabilities being provided with scholarship should be separately
mentioned and discussed in the Parents teacher Association meetings.
(iv)List of scholarship-holders should be regularly revised.
(e) Setting up of appropriate for the redressing of grievances of parents regarding the
placement of their children with disabilities.
(i) Parent Teacher Association should be established in every school to redress the
grievances of parents of children with disabilities.
(ii) Regular meetings of Parent Teacher Association should be ensured.
(iii) The school management committees and village education committees set up under
SSA should be utilized to provide a forum to address grievances of the parents of children
with special needs.
(iv)The Colleges also should make similar arrangements.
(f) Suitable modification in the examination system to eliminate purely mathematical
questions for the benefit of blind students and students with low vision.
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has taken a number of steps to provide
facilities to the children with disabilities in examinations.

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Some of the major steps taken by CBSE are mentioned below:
(i) Alternate question in lieu of questions requiring special skills based on visual inputs are
being provide in Mathematics and science for Sec. School Examination (class X).
(ii) Blind, Physically Handicapped and Dyslexic Students are permitted to use an
amanuensis. The amanuensis must be a student of a class lower than the one for which the
candidate is taking the examination.
(iii) The visually Handicapped students (with low vision) appearing from Delhi is provided
Question Papers with enlarged print.
(iv)differentially-abled candidates are allowed additional one hour (60) minutes) for each
paper of external examination.
(v) Exemption is granted from examination in the Third Language.
(vi)Center Superintendents have been instructed to make arrangements for the conduct of
the examination of such candidates on the Ground Floor as far as possible.
(vii) Physically Challenged children are to specifically indicate their category and also state
whether they have been provided with a writer in the columns provided in the Main Answer
Book.
In addition to above facilities extended by CBSE to children with disabilities, there should
be an effort to eliminate purely mathematical questions for the benefit of blind students and
students with low vision.
(g) Restructuring of curriculum for the benefit of children with disabilities.
There is a focus on inclusive education and hence child centered pedagogy
emphasized. The curriculum to meet the needs of children with disabilities should be
suitably developed in consultation with experts so that these children can learn together with

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other children in regular classrooms. There may be need to suitably modify the curriculum
as done by CBSE for children with disabilities. The modifications made are presented
below:
The children with disabilities (dyslexic, blind, spastic and candidate with visual impairment)
have the option of studying one compulsory language as against two. The language opted by
them should be in consonance with the overall spirit of the Three Language Formula
prescribed by the Board. Besides one language, they can offer any four of the following
subjects: Mathematics, Science and Technology, Social Science, Another Language, Music,
Painting, Home Science and Introductory Information Technology.
(h) Restructuring of curriculum for the benefit of students with hearing impairment to
facilitate them to take only one language as part of their curriculum. The Board of
Education should make changes in their curriculum to facilitate learning of hearing impaired
children by providing an option of only one language as a part of their curriculum. The
Government and its organizations dealing with the subject matter of education of children
with disabilities shall take immediate action for incorporation of facilities mentioned in
Section 30 of the Act so that all the barriers and obstructions may be removed and children
with disabilities are able to obtain education at part with other children.
The Right to Education Bill and the differnentially-able
The Government of India decided to make Amendment 21A of the constitution,
giving children between the ages of 6-14 the right to a free, appropriate and compulsory
education, into an act. In 2005, the Right to Education Act was drafted by the Ministry of

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Human Resource Development. This bill, framed through a “social justice and collective
advocacy perspective” rather than through a framework of individual rights, is not
disability-specific, but is inclusive of children with disabilities, with specific sections that
address the educational rights of students with disabilities. The International Labour
Organization says that when students with disabilities are not pinpointed as a separate group
with separate needs in policies such as the Right to Education Act, that their specific needs
are not addressed and met. Therefore, it is important for inclusion that students with
disabilities have specific clauses within the bill that ensure their rights as students, and
exciting that this particular bill is addressing this group.
There are several other important clauses that make up this act to ensure that students
with and without disabilities are guaranteed an education. The act specifically prohibits
schools from charging any type of fee that, if not paid, would prevent children from
completing their elementary education. Second, if a child turns six and is not in school, the
child will be admitted into an age-appropriate classroom, and will not be admitted into a
classroom based on their perceived level of education. The exception to this rule is if
children have an intellectual disability they may be placed according to their perceived level
of education, which is definitely an anti-inclusive stance. Third, if there is an area where
children live that does not have a school, the government will be responsible for creating a
school within that area within three years of the enactment of the Right to Education Act, or
alternatively, to provide transportation or residential facilities to an adequate school out of
the area. Last, both the state and central governments hold joint responsibility for carrying
out the responsibilities outlined in 26 the Right to Education Act. In addition to these four
important clauses, the act also states that teachers cannot be hired on a contractual, month to

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month basis, allowing for them to be unqualified, but states that teachers must be hired on as
permanent staff, giving them full salary and benefits. The bill gave the government five
years to implement this change, because of the staggering lack of qualified teachers in India.
The Right to Education Bill was drafted in 2005. However, for three years, the bill
was not discussed by the cabinet, was not brought up in budget sessions, and was passed
around and generally avoided by different departments. The Right to Education Act was
passed in 2009 and put into full effect in 2010. The Supreme Court upheld the constitutional
validity of the act on April 12, 2012.