Sumer from Madanriting and Wanbai Tang from Laitumkhrah, who are pursuing studies at National Institute for Empowerment for Persons with Multiple Disabilities at Mutthukadu, Chennai, feel that there is a need on the part of the parents of the disabled in Meghalaya to have more compassion and to spend more time with their children in order to help empower them.
Speaking to media persons, who visited the Institute as part of a PIB sponsored tour, Sumer, who was a teacher at Bethany Society, said that there is a vast difference between how the Institute treats the persons with multiple disability when compared to Meghalaya.
“The parents of the disabled are always with their wards at the Institute which is not the case in Shillong as in Bethany Society, the children are left to the care of Bethany Society by the parents,” Sumer said.
According to Sumer, while the teachers at Bethany find it difficult to deal with the disabled in the absence of the parents, the learning practice at the Institute in the presence of parents is a different experience.
The parents during their short stay with their wards at the Institute are also given productive work like tailoring, embroidery, and candle making with a monthly remuneration of at least Rs 3,000.
Rajesh M, who is the information and media officer at the Institute, said that the same method can be emulated elsewhere.
Sumer, who is pursuing first year Autism Spectrum Disorder course at the Institute, hopes to improve her teaching skills.
After completing the two-year course in Autism Spectrum Disorder, she wants to be part of Bethany to provide fresh inputs to help the children with disabilities.
Wanbai Tang, who is pursuing a course on cerebral palsy at the Institute, also desires to work at Bethany Society. “We can help the deprived children of the State in a better way after gaining practical knowledge from the Institute,” Tang said
According to Tang, the parents of the disabled should be with their wards when they are sent to special schools in order to ease their distress levels.