December 3rd was International Day of the Disabled. We in India have come a long way in our efforts in educating and rehabilitating those with special needs. Dr Rathna has had a long and illustrious career in the rehabilitation of the speech and hearing disabled. He served as the director of both the All India Institute of Speech and Hearing (AIISH) and Ali Yavar Jung National Institute of the Hearing Handicapped.

Widely recognised as one of the founding fathers of the young profession of Speech Language Pathology and Audiology in India, he was responsible for not only setting up these premier training and research institutions but also in taking services to the doorstep of thousands through the many community based rehabilitation projects that he has been involved in.

Clinician, teacher, administrator, he has played all these roles with élan. His simplicity, firm belief in democratic values and love for theatre are legendary. Besides many awards for his professional contribution, Dr Rathna has also been conferred with the “Life time Achievement” award by the Karnataka Nataka Academy for his contribution to theatre. He has written, directed and acted in many plays both in Kannada and English besides scripting a children’s film Chor Chor Chup Ja. He has successfully used this medium to address issues in disability.

How did you get into the education of the disabled?
My father Dr A M Natesh worked as the Head Master of the Government School for Blind Boys and Deaf Boys in Mysore. Living on the campus of this residential school I grew up with those children and developed a love and respect for them. Through my close interactions with them I realised that they could do anything I did, but they did it differently! After my BA in English Literature and B.Ed from Mysore University I got a scholarship to study Special Education in the US. There, I had some of the best teachers who, like my father, inspired me to work with the differently able and I secured a Masters degree in Speech Therapy and a Doctorate in Special Education. Upon my return, I worked as the Principal of a school for the deaf and blind for a short while but resigned when the authorities were unwilling to implement even my simple suggestions such as admitting younger deaf children to school or taking the blind children on a picnic….

How did AIISH come into existence?
By a fortuitous mix of many events! Dr Palmer, a renowned Speech Pathologist from the US was invited by Mrs Gandhi who was the home minister then, to visit India and recommend setting up of a Speech and Hearing Institute in the country. Mysore was chosen because of its academic ambience and also because the Maharaja was willing to donate land. This was in the early 60’s and being on the Indian government’s scientific pool, I was asked to be part of the team that started AIISH. Several eminent people worked hard to steer the Institute in the right direction. The initial years were tough but exciting. We had to formulate the curriculum, decide on the model of functioning and attract students and clients, all the while bearing in mind the Indian reality. Very few knew what the course was about and students were given a stipend as an incentive. The curriculum was wide ranging with emphasis on both Speech Pathology and Audiology. Students also had to take several other allied courses, which I believe has stood them in good stead.

What are your views on education of children with special needs?
Inclusive education, where all children including those with special needs learn together, is something I endorse. With active community participation, flexible and child oriented curricula and barrier free environment, children with special needs can and do learn in regular schools. Of course, there will still be need for special schools.
These schools and the regular schools should not only harness technology for educating children but also be creative. There should be more infant training and pre-school training programmes with better aids and material. At the older level, vocational training that focuses on current employment needs should be provided.

Are you happy with the progress we have made?
I am quite satisfied with the changes that have come about, the expansion achieved in the field of disability and the slow but sure improvement in the quality of services over the past forty five years since I began work! I am gratified with the positive efforts and policies of the Governments. But unfortunately we still have a long way to go. Many old fashioned myths and practices still continue, such as the limited goals for the differently able, the superstitions among the general public especially in the rural areas, and the apathy of the general public towards our differently able friends. I am also dissatisfied with the quality of teachers and rehabilitators we are producing.  Many of them seem to lack the skills, the motivation and the dedication needed for the job. However I am not a pessimist. I recognise the slow progress we are making and I notice that more parents and people with disability are speaking up for their rights. In that lies our hope!