Sunitha Rao R, TNN | Nov 28, 2014, 11.27PM IST
BENGALURU: "My four-year-old daughter suffers from Down syndrome. I want to enrol her in swimming classes. But no pool in the city is willing to train my child," rued Narendra Choradia. Children with special needs want opportunities, not your sympathy, he added.
Choradia was one of the many parents of special kids who spoke at the state-level Voices of Special Children meet on Friday. He said the event was a revelation to him as he never knew so many departments existed for the welfare of special kids. "But tell me, is there any unofficial ban on special children wanting to enrol in various courses? What is your mode of creating awareness?"
More cases of prejudice came tumbling out at the meet. Sikander Navaz (9) from D J Halli is a special kid with 85% disabilities. He was taken by his sister for Aadhaar enrolment. "Seeing him, officials at the registration centre said he can't be given a card," said Ruman Tazrine, Navaz's elder sister who is a home science student.
Ruman is worried whether Navaz's pension will stop in the absence of Aadhaar as the government is linking benefits to the number. Also, Navaz's disability pension record says he is entitled to Rs 1,200 but he gets only Rs 500. "Why such disparity? Where does his pension money go?" she wondered.
Officials of the Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (KSCPCR), which had organized the event, and the revenue department promised to look into Navaz's case.
Ramanna, parent of a disabled child from Anekal, spoke of the need to set up speech therapy labs in all taluks. "We go all the way to Kollegal as there is no government-run speech therapy lab even in Bengaluru," he said.
Even as Dr Parimala Marur, deputy director, Rastriya Bala Swasthya Karyakrama of the health department, was speaking about exclusive centres in six state hospitals for special kids, V Deepa, mother of a special child, got up. "When I took my daughter to Vani Vilas hospital, we were treated worse than beggars. They wanted a yellow BPL card, whereas the government has given us a blue one. Give these kids an ID card to help them avail health services. Do you know how difficult it is for these kids to travel by bus and make several trips to hospitals," she asked the officials.
Officials turn up late
KSCPCR had hosted the event to bring special kids and their guardians face-to-face with officials from the education, health, women and child welfare departments.
The official response, though, underlined the apathy that special kids are up against. Health officials arrived 90 minutes late, while education and women and child welfare department officials didn't turn up till afternoon.
"I am disappointed that government departments chose to stay away from the meet. These children have hidden talents and they need encouragement," said Erannanavar SY, registrar, state human rights commission.
Can't see, but she's a CA
Rajani Gopalakrishna (44) from Banashankari in south Bengaluru became a chartered accountant in 2003 despite being a person with special needs. She began losing her vision gradually when she was just 9. "Many people told me that becoming a CA is impossible for someone who can't see. I took it as a challenge and succeeded," says Rajani, who was felicitated at the event.
"Mine was a case of medical negligence. I was given penicillin without testing. I am a victim of Stevens-Johnson syndrome," she added.