ccccccRAMAKRISHNA MISSION VIDYALAYA

Disability Management and Special Education Coimbatore, Tamilnadu

About Ramakrishna Vidyala missionc cccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc

Ramakrishna Mission Vidyalaya, Coimbatore, is a major educational centre of the well-known Ramakrishna
Mission. It is 19 km from Coimbatore City on the highway to Ootacamund,and is situated in a serene environment
spread over about 300 acres. The Institution was founded by Sri Avinashilingsm in n 1930 with an investment of
just Rs. 5.75 and with one harijan boy on its roll.. Coimbatore houses 2 faculties of Ramakrishna Mission
Vivekananda University, Faculty of µGeneral & Adapted Physical Education and Yoga¶ and Faculty of µDisability
Management and Special Education¶, in the campus of Ramakrishna Mission Vidyalaya, Coimbatore, a major
educational centre of the Ramakrishna Mission. The Vidyalaya is situated 19 kms from the Coimbatore City on the
highway to Ootacamund, and is set in a serene environment spread over 300 acres.

International Human Resource Development Centre (IHRDC) for the Disabled at the Ramakrishna Mission
Vidyalaya, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, became the first faculty of University namely Faculty of Disability
Management and Special Education (FDMSE). The centre was already involved in training Special Education
professionals at the national and international levels.

Highlights of IHRDC

1.c ?as a highly advanced braille printing unit; prints and supplies text books in all subjects from Stds I to XI
to blind students studying in Tamil Nadu.
2.c ?as produced the first Indian Sign Language Dictionary for the deaf in India.
3.c Through its community-based rehabilitation programme, the center trains 40 blind people every year for
self-employment.
4.c In Collaboration with the Sankara Eye Society-Coimbatore, the I?RDC conducts elaborate survey of blind
people in the surrounding areas covering a population of over 2 lakhs and treats them freely, which
includes some compilcated and sophisticated surgeries too.
5.c Employs about 25 blind and mentally retarded people in the notebooks and envelopes manufacturing unit
which supplies the products to schools and colleges in the Coimbatore District.
6.c Offers training courses to prepare community level field workers for the disabled.
7.c Offers low vision assessment services.
8.c Offers training courses to prepare community level field workers for the disabled.
 9.c Offers low vision assessment services.
10.c Offers sign language interpreters' course in three levels.
11.c Proposing to offer supervisory training programme for rehabilitation managers.

The Faculty of Disability Management and Special Education (FDMSE)°c

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Ramakrishna Mission Vidyalaya made an earnest attempt in 1980 to integrate

blind children in to its regular high school. Later, a modest µResource and Development Centre¶ was started
in May 1984 primarily to prepare braille books. In 1992, the Vidyalaya started a Notebook production
Centre with 90% of its work force as disabled persons. This Centre is self-sufficient in nature and supplies
notebooks to schools and colleges in Coimbatore.

In 1994, the Vidyalaya launched its economic-oriented rehabilitation services for the disabled involving
banks, industries, the employment exchange, etc. Vidyalaya is actively collaborating with the Central and
State Governments in implementing number of projects of national importance to provide comprehensive
services to the disabled. In general, the institute is offering need based services in the area of special
education and rehabilitation.c

Aim:

The aim of this FDMSE is to translate the declaration of Swami Vivekananda into action. With regard to
proper education, he had said that all perfection and powers were already within each individual, and
education was the means to make them manifest in the lives of individuals.

Vision:c
Accordingly, the vision of the FDMSE is based on the fact that the strength of persons, of even these with
disabilities, can be aroused for constructive purposes by professionally trained teachers. The faculty believes
that by strengthening the hearing ability of visually impaired persons, visual ability of hearing impaired
persons, motor ability of mentally retarded persons, and cognitive ability of persons with locomotor disability
through well trained professionals, seemingly impossible results become achieved realities. Serving God
manifest as so many human beings is another important philosophy of the faculty. Thus the inspiration for
commencing the work for persons with disability came from Swami Vivekananda.

Mission:

2c Offering training programs at all levels for preparing personnel and professionals for special
education and rehabilitation programs catering to the needs of persons with visual impairment,
 hearing impairment, mental retardation, locomotor disability, and other areas where there is a need
for human resource development.
2c Organizing short-term training programs for preparing multi-purpose rehabilitation workers to serve
persons with disabilities.
2c Organizing awareness-programs for parents, administrators, and public for facilitating effective
implementation of service programs for persons with disabilities.
2c Preparing literature such as handouts, brochures, etc. on education, and rehabilitation of persons
with disabilities.
Promoting context-based models leading to educating all children with disabilities.
2c Organizing orientation courses for general classroom teachers for implementing inclusive education
programs for disabled children.
2c Developing tailor-made programs in education and rehabilitation for the benefit of special education
personnel from developing countries.
2c Promoting research in specific educational and rehabilitation areas, whose results would strengthen
development of inclusive schooling and community-based rehabilitation programs.
2c Offering continuing education programs for the existing personnel working in the field of education
and rehabilitation of the disabled.
2c Providing consultancy services to developing countries to promote educational services..c

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