Srinagar June 21 (KNS):   The Academic Division of Jammu & Kashmir Board of School Education organises three Day Workshop on Development of Handbook of Disability and alternative Courses of Studies in Classes IX & X for Children with Special Needs w.e.f 21st June to 23rd June, 2022. The objective of the workshop is to produce a handbook of disability on CWSN for understanding, sensitisation and information of the stakeholders and to review and revise the syllabi and scheme of assessment of alternative subjects in vogue in class X for CWSN i.e Music, painting and Home Science.

 The workshop also aims to explore alternative courses of studies and devise a syllabus and scheme of assessment for such courses in classes IX and X. The workshop was held under the supervision of Prof. Abdul Wahid Makhdoomi, Director Academics. The dignitaries who attended the workshop include Dr Mir Zafar Iqbal, Director CRC, Prof & Head, Dr Abdul Rashid, HOD, Dept of Paediatric Surgery, GMC, Dr Abrar, Dept of Child Psychiatry IMHANS, Dr Syed Karar, Child Psychiatrist, IMHANS, Dr Nusrat Jabeen, Mr Mohammad Shaheen, Occupational Therapist, IMHANS, G.N War, President, Private School Association, Disability Rights Activists, Javed Tak, Mr. Abrar Ahmed, Ms Sandhya and a group of teachers and lecturers working in the educational field. Ms Zainab and Ms Sania , Students with disability also spoke on the occasion about their lived experience which sensitised the audience problems of disabled people and what the depts especially the educational ones can do to empower children with special needs.

Prof Abdul Wahid Makhdoomi, Director Academics deliberated upon the issue and apprised the audience about the revised Board Examination Exemptions offered  by JKBOSE in classes IX, X And XII. He also said that JKBOSE is committed to empower CWSN. Dr Zafar Iqbal, Director CRC highlighted the role of advocacy programmes for sensitisation of people to create a better and empathetic society. Dr Abrar and Dr Karar foregrounded the problem of mental illnesses in children in J&k and the possible steps required to make education a stress free and fruitful enterprise for such children. Dr Abdul Rashid urged that many disabilities have not been covered in RPWD Act, 2016 for the lack of which children with invisible disabilities cannot be denied their due. Urging to include such children in the ambit of RPWD Act, he strongly advocated to empower such children educationally.

Ms Sandhya deliberated how she has walked life inspite of being a quadriplegic. Ms Hina Khan deliberated upon exploring Academic Alternative Spaces for CWSN. Some teachers,  lecturers  and professionals presented their ideas of locomotor disability, hearing impairment, learning disabilities and autism. The presentations  particularly focussed on the educational aspects of curriculum and pedagogy.

The programme was coordinated by Naila Neelofar, Assistant Director, JKBOSE.(KNS)