08 Dec 2021|Noida | Amity University, Noida (Online)
Amity organizes a Panel Discussion on "Creating an Inclusive, Accessible and Sustainable Post-Covid 19 World: Indian Perspective"
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Amity Institute of Rehabilitation Sciences organized a Panel Discussion on "Creating an Inclusive, Accessible and Sustainable Post-Covid 19 World: Indian Perspective” to commemorate the ‘International Week of Persons with Disabilities’. Dr. Jayanthi Narayan, former Deputy Director, National Institute of the Empowerment of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities, Dr. Rangasai, Former Director, Ali Yawar Jung Institute of Speech and Hearing Disabilities, Dr. Rashmi Das, Editor, Telecom Live, New Delhi and Dr. Bhushan Punani, Executive Secretary, The Blind People's Association, Ahmedabad, expressed their views during the discussion.
Welcoming the guests, Dr. Jayanti Pujari, Director, Amity Institute of Rehabilitation Sciences said, “Through such discussion sessions, we inspire future teachers and special teachers to work for special students to help in the overall development of special students.” During and after COVID, special initiatives were taken for differently abled students in the world and information regarding the same was provided to the students during the discussion.
Speaking at the discussion, Dr. Jayanthi Narayan, former Deputy Director, National Institute of the Empowerment of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities, said, “Our aim should be to train special teachers for all kinds of students. The teacher should work for differently-abled students and we need to equip teachers better. In the new course, disaster management was added during COVID which will require training on how to work for differently-abled students at such times. We should strive for inclusive education, but the quality of education should be maintained.”
Dr. Rangasai, former Director, Ali Yawar Jung Institute of Speech and Hearing Disabilities, stated, “During COVID, we motivated deaf students to write e-mails and talk through video messages. There is a need to solve a variety of problems and differently-abled students have to be linked to the use of technology.”
Dr. Rashmi Das, Editor, Telecom Live, New Delhi, averred, “Terms like ‘high functioning autism’ and ‘low functioning autism’ have to be erased. In addition, teachers of many special students say that it is up to the student to place his responsibility on themselves and their parents. During COVID, the problem of new disabled students arose as their parents did not know what to do. We need subject-based special teachers and educational institutions should train special teachers with multidisciplinary capacity.”
Dr. Bhushan Punani, Executive Secretary, The Blind People's Association, Ahmedabad emphasized, “We should recognize the income opportunities, all benefits, financial assistance and health, etc. The Social Justice Department should be active in keeping special provisions in the Budget for the above works. How the safety and care of persons with disabilities will be ensured during COVID is a big question today.” He explained the initiatives taken by The Blind People's Association for Persons with Disabilities.
Dr. Sampoorna Guha, Dr. Anusuya Yadav of Amity Institute of Rehabilitation Sciences were also present during the Panel Discussion.