Include Vidya

What is CBM’s Include Vidya campaign?

CBM’s Include Vidya Campaign is to include children with disabilities in education in India. The campaign complements the government’s flagship programme – Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (SSA), to achieve its goal of ‘Education for All’. Children with disabilities too have equal rights to access education. This goes beyond enrolment to active learning, participation in the classroom as well as the playing field and other extra-curricular activities.

CBM India, together with partners and other key stakeholders aims to:

• Increase enrolment and retention of children with disabilities in mainstream schools.
• Gain community and parents commitment to ensure inclusive education.
• Ensure children with disabilities in schools are learning with their peers.
• Appoint special educators in general schools to fill existing vacancies and make inclusive education successful.

Policies, Acts and Schemes:

India is one among the 189 countries which signed the Millennium Development Goals in the year 2000, of which the second is to ‘Achieve Universal Primary Education’. Without including children with disabilities, these goals cannot be achieved. To achieve this the government has initiated the key flagship programme of Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (SSA) in the year 2000 -2001 and Right to Education Act in the year 2009.

Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (SSA) 2000-2001:

SSA’s primary objective is ensuring education for all and the programme has special provision to support children with disabilities in education. It supports identification of children with disabilities, assessment, educational placement, Individualized Educational Plans, aids and appliances, teacher training, resource support, accessible infrastructure, etc. It has a special focus on girls with special needs. SSA has a zero rejection policy – so that no child having special needs should be deprived of the right to education and should be taught in an environment, which is best suited to his/her learning needs. Special teachers are assigned to train mainstream teachers and students to assure quality education. Local committees are formed to monitor and support inclusive education.

Right to Education Act (RTE) 2009:

The RTE Act provides free and compulsory education for all the children in the age group of 6 to 14 years including children with disability. There are provisions such as special training for children with disabilities (for example braille and sign language), transportation facilities, physical infrastructure of schools, adaptation of curriculum, training for teachers, special schools becoming inclusive schools, including disability experts in the National Advisory Council and State Advisory Councils which includes local NGOs, etc. The Act also emphasises training for School Management Committees and sensitisation programmes for parents and community members. Inclusive Education Resource Teachers at cluster level are also supported in mobilizing community volunteers to create awareness.

Role of the school and teacher in inclusive education:

Government has set systems and resources to provide guidance, training, accessible infrastructure, study materials and resource centers. It is the responsibility of the teachers and schools to utilize these resources to the best and deliver quality education for all children including children with disabilities. The denial of the right to education robs children of their future – for example, opportunity to access other rights, completing their education, limiting employment opportunities, etc. It restricts active participation in society, aggravates exclusion, and limits a person’s chance of escaping poverty.

Self-Assessment For Teachers on an Inclusive School

What teachers can do:

• Provide equal opportunities for children with disabilities to participate in classroom activities
• Adopt appropriate and interactive teaching methodologies to include children with disabilities.
• Encourage children with disabilities to participate in ‘after school education programs’
• Orient parents on importance of education and engage them when developing individual education plans for their child
• Ensure children with disabilities get adequate learning materials
• Encourage children with disabilities to participate in sports and co-curricular activities
• Discourage bullying, teasing and any form of abuse against children with disabilities
• Actively participate in training programme and workshops organised by government and development organisations on inclusive education

How Head-teachers can make a difference:

• Make the school child safe and child friendly.
• Ensure there are trained and appropriate teachers including special educators in schools
• Have accessible and hygienic toilets for all children including children with disabilities
• Initiate regular refresher training on inclusive education
• Hold orientation programmes on inclusive education to all parents
• Have counseling and guidance programmes for teachers and parents to build positive attitudes towards children with disabilities
• Support parents of children with disabilities to overcome trauma and guilt and engage families to seek early intervention
• Conduct meetings with relevant government departments, parents, and community members to address issues, avail their rights and entitlements.
• Involve parents/family members of children with disabilities in the school management committee and in the process of education and (re)habilitation of their children from as early an age as possible.

Our request to the government officials:

• Accessibility should be extended beyond ramps, child with disabilities should be able to access every part of the school.
• Adequate training to teachers and parents on inclusive education and early intervention.
• Appointment of Special Educators in general schools to fill existing vacancies
• Timely supply of teaching and learning materials for children with disabilities
• Timely supply of text book and assistive devices to children with disabilities
• Equip special schools as resource centres to train teachers on inclusive education
• Promote local monitoring committees and school management committees to ensure quality education
• Ensure that full and functional resource centres are available for teachers and parents of children with disability to facilitate quality education
• Re-modeling of Special Schools to cater to the needs of children with multiple disabilities; prepare children with disabilities to join mainstream education.

Every child with disability to be in school, learning and playing with their friends.
Work with us to help this happen.

To know more about Inclusive Education contact us at

CBM’s Include Vidya Campaign

C/O CBM India,
#140, “Commerce Cube”, 5th Main,
Puttanachettey Road,
Chamarajpet, Bangalore 560 018.
Phone: +91 80 2667 3635/ 3489/ 3629.
E-mail: mail@cbmsaro.org website: www.cbmindia.org.in