Teachers in Manipur should give special focus to persons with disabilities among students and explore their unique qualities and talents, MLA Karam Shyam said on Thursday.
The MLA was speaking as chief guest at the launching of two-day orientation-cum-awareness programme on ‘Information on Disabilities’ at Spastic Society Manipur, Tapokpi Bazar, Langthabal Kunja on Wednesday.
The programme was jointly organised by the Ali Yavar Jung National Institute of speech and Hearing Disabilities (AYJNISHD) and the Spastic Society Manipur, specially for regular school teachers and the people who are working at grassroot on persons with disabilities (PWDs).
Karam Shyam said that persons with disabilities are gifted with inborn talents. They are always blessed with different abilities and capabilities which even a normal person finds it difficult to perform, he said.
Teachers should play a pivotal role in exploring such hidden talent of the persons with disabilities as they have inborn qualities and hidden talents, he advised, adding that it would be challenging to teach children with disabilities.
"Teachers who are taking good responsibility in teaching those children should feel proud of their profession. Teachers should pay extra care and attention to them as through proper education, their inborn qualities are to be recognised, shaping their future,” he said.
While appreciating the initiative taken up by Spastic Society Manipur for the welfare of PWDs, he appealed to the people of the state to treat them with love and care.
Presenting his keynote address, IDC of AYJNISHD, Bhojaraju Gowda, said that the purpose of the programme is to enhance the knowledge about rehabilitation services available for PWDs.
Disability Information Line is a part of Information and Documentation Services which is effectively linked with beneficiaries directly and indirectly. Its objectives are acquisition, assimilation and dissemination of information with regard to rehabilitation services to individuals and organisations working in the area of cross disability, he informed.
The programme is expected to positively influence and impact the attitudes and behaviour of the stakeholders towards PWDs, he added.
Other dignitaries, who attended the function, were state project director, Samagra Siksha Manipur, Laishram Nandakumar Singh and secretary of Spastic Society Manipur, Laishram Tokendra Ricky as guest of honour and president respectively.
